Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Compiled from information provided by practitioners released from Benxi Forced Labor Camp

The so-called "Law Education Center" is actually a site for long-term persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. As part of the coercive brainwashing, camp wardens have repeatedly forced practitioners to listen to, watch, read, and write materials that criticize Falun Gong. Camp wardens hired collaborators to persecute firm practitioners. Those in chargee deprive practitioners of sleep, force them to perform hard labor, and torture them in various ways. The steadfast practitioners were put into solitary confinement or tied to a "death bed." The death bed involves strait-lacing the victim's limbs and trunk with thin nylon cords to a bed frame for a long time. The cords can obstruct breathing and cut into the flesh. The Practitioners on hunger strike are force fed.

On the afternoon of May 17, 2007, when Meng Lingxin, the management section chief of Benxi Forced Labor Camp, inspected the 6th Group. Mr. Yang Manzhi said he was a Falun Gong practitioner and was not guilty, so he refused to be searched. Meng Lingxin snarled, "Are you special?"  He then struck Mr. Yang's head five to six times with a folder. Afterwards Meng ordered several camp wardens to put him in solitary confinement. Mr. Yang went on a hunger strike to protest. At around 8:00 a.m. on May 21, Assistant Training Director Liu Shiben, General Manager Meng Lingxin, the chief of Admissions and Security Department, the leader of the Education Team, and Guan Kai from the Law Education Team ganged up to persecute him. They dragged Mr. Yang to a cell at the very end of the second floor in the camp clinic. They stripped off his pants and underwear and bound him to a death bed made of two single beds. Once tied down, he was not released to use the restroom or to be force fed. This torture is excruciating.

Mr. Yang was monitored by three reform assistants, who force fed him and emptied his bedpan. Later, Warden Zheng Kai threatened Mr. Yang and attempted to force him to write the so-called three statements. Yang was tortured for eight days, from May 21-29. On the morning of May 29, wardens untied him from the death bed. Yang limped for over a month afterwards.

On June 18, Mr. Yang was sent to the notorious "Law Education Team." The leader, Liu Shaoshi, appointed Ding Huibo to abuse Mr. Yang. Mr. Yang was forced to repeatedly watch videos that insulted the founder of Falun Gong. During this time, Zheng Kai talked with Mr. Yang several times and threatened to tie him to the death bed again if he refused to quit practicing Falun Gong. Ding Huibo was one of the most vicious individuals in Benxi Forced Labor Camp. He talked with Mr. Yang many times and assaulted him when no warden was around.

Other practitioners subjected to the death bed torture included Wang Yuzhu for seven days in June and Liu Guangqing in mid August.

Practitioner Liu Chengguo was put in solitary confinement three times. The longest lasted about 30 days, from May 8 to June 9.

Practitioner Wang Yuzhu was put in solitary confinement on June 15, 2007, and was tied to the death bed for seven days.

Beginning July 26, 2007, practitioner Zhang Zhigang was detained in solitary confinement for 21 days.

From June 27 to July 17, practitioner Liu Guangqing was detained in solitary confinement for 25 days. Later he was subjected to the death bed torture.

The solitary confinement cell is a windowless brick rectangle 3.6 m long, 1.1 m wide, and 1.7 m high (11.8 ft x 3.6 ft x 5.6 ft). Its small door also serves as the only source of ventilation. The cell has a urinal, a filthy quilt, and a torn mattress.

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zheng Zhicheng is a resident of Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province. He has remained a steadfast practitioner despite being sentenced to forced labor twice. Each time, he was sentenced to three years, for a total of six years. During Mr. Zheng's imprisonment, his father died of grief.

In late 2005, Mr. Zheng Zhicheng married Ms. Cheng Chao and they moved in with Mr. Zheng's mother, Ms. Zhao Chunhua. Although they were poor, they were happy because they all believe in the universal principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

On March 14, 2007, Zhao Ran, the chief of Shanhaiguan District Police Department, Zhang Deyue, the head of the 1st Section and policeman Fu Yong (male) went to arrest Mr. Zheng and Ms. Cheng. Mr. Zheng was detained at the Qinhuangdao City First Detention Center and Ms. Cheng was sentenced to 15 months of forced labor. She is currently being held at the Kaiping Forced Labor Camp in Tangshan City, Hebei Province.

On August 15, 2007, Fu Yong (male) arrested Ms. Zhao Chunhua, Mr. Zheng's mother. They had been planning to take her to a forced labor camp at the beginning of September 2007, but the labor camp would not accept her for unknown reasons and she was released. However, on September 26, 2007, Ms. Zhao was arrested again and sentenced to 18 months of forced labor. She is being detained at the Kaiping Labor Camp in Tangshan City.