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My Appalling Experience at Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp, Jilin Province

April 06, 2001 |   Dafa Practitioner - Piao Lianying

[Minghui Net] My name is Piao Lianying and I live in Changchun City, Jilin Province. Because the police have been constantly searching for me, I decided to stay away from home. Since July 1999, I have been illegally arrested and detained many times for appealing and promoting Dafa in Beijing. My last experience was at the Heizuizi Women's Labor Camp where I was detained for two years, without legal process. In an attempt to make me give up practicing Falun Dafa, the wardens used all forms of cruel and ruthless torture on me during this period. At first, they handcuffed my hands to my back and made me stand with my eyes open for four days and nights. To ensure my eyes stayed open, they made my cell inmates watch me in turn. The moment they saw my eyes closed, they would start beating me. Later, under the instruction of the supervisor, three other prisoners dragged me to a toilet and took turns belting me until they got tired. Seeing that I refused to give in, they then chained me on to a cold steel door for the rest of the night. Eventually, Secretary Gong and Camp Director Fan personally instructed a prisoner to have my limbs permanently chained onto a steel bed, where I remained immobilized for the next several days. One prisoner, by the name of Guo Shuhua, tried hard to dissuade me from practicing Dafa. Seeing that my mind was set, she punched me in my face. Even the wooden boards another prisoner, Yang Yang, used to hit me with were splintered. My body was covered with black and red bruises all over. They only allowed five minutes for someone to feed me at mealtimes. The supervisor would snatch the food away and follow by a kick if there was any time overrun. They would not let me have a blanket at night either. Because of that, I passed out once due the coldness of the night. It took them a long while to bring me back that time. So the torture went on. Provided I agree not to practice, which I refused, they would set me free. The ordeal lasted for nine days. Because other practitioners had been protesting strongly against my brutal torture, and they did not want their superior to see me in this condition during his visit, they transferred me to a cold room, where I was hung by my handcuffs above a steel bed near a window so that I would get the full force of the wind. Under such extended periods of torture, I was completely exhausted, and finally, I succumbed and signed a repentance statement against my will. I questioned the two cell inmates afterwards why they had treated me so. They replied, "We didn't want to, but did we have any choice? They would have applied the same punishment to us if we didn't." Through my further understanding of the Fa, I realized my mistakes. I went and withdrew my repentance statement from the captain, but ended up with more severe punishments. Under the instruction of their leaders, a group of hired thugs shocked me with an electric baton, on my face, neck, and scalp. I collapsed many times. "If you refused to sign," the captain said, "we will continue [this torture] until you do." Once again, I succumbed to their pressure. In fact, under such brutality, many practitioners had succumbed against their will. Some of them were compelled to appear and speak on TV, knowing very well that they were lying to the public. But once fallen in their trap, there was no return. Later on, my wounds started to inflame and developed into an abscess, and for 10 days afterwards I had a high fever. I started to lose control of myself and at times, I went into a coma. The camp sent me to its medical clinic for a check up. The diagnosis was general blood poisoning. Officer Lian told me that if I sign a repentance statement renouncing Falun Gong, they would let me go to the hospital for treatment immediately. To that, I refused. He then lured me into accepting the four "Do-not(s),"(i.e. - Do not appeal, do not associate, do not mass assemble, and do not practice in the park) which I refused to accept either. Eventually he said, "You must put something in writing on paper. Otherwise, I do not have an excuse to let you go." I was thinking then: I must consolidate myself by continual practice and Fa-study. Stubbornness alone does not get me very far. Perhaps, if I stopped going to Beijing to appeal for a while, but spent more time studying and consolidating my understanding of Dafa when I got out, I would be in a better position to change the environment when I returned to the Labor Camp. With that in mind, I wrote: "I will not appeal in Beijing during my convalescent at the hospital, and will return to the Labor Camp as soon I recover." Surprisingly, they actually released me the very same day. Under the pressure of my relatives, I went to the hospital for a check-up as soon as I was released. The doctor sternly said that my life was in grave danger and I was required to stay in the hospital for immediate treatment. But the hospital would not take responsibility if I died. I then understood why the Labor Camp was so anxious to let me go. Just as expected, I collapsed as soon as I arrived home. Through practicing Dafa, I slowly recovered. Many times, I wanted to go back to the Labor Camp. But, the death of Yin Shuyun made me realize that one or two persons alone could not change the state and conditions of the Labor Camp. Therefore, I decided to promote Dafa and explain the truth to the public in the outside world instead. During this period of travelling, I often felt ashamed of myself when any of the names Zhao Jinhua, Zhou Zhichang and Chen Zixiu were mentioned. They were the practitioners who had sacrificed their lives defending Dafa. What upsets me most is that my closest friends and relatives are now using the so called "Reformed" examples read from newspapers or seen from TV to dissuade me from pursuing Dafa. This has made me understand the seriousness of my failures. Many people are still deluded, and do not know the truth behind the so call "Reformation Process." I signed the repentance statement under the pressure of their torture. With the hope that the media, now under full control of the government, would not further beguile the public, I want to speak out now. Furthermore, I want to redeem some of the negative effects on the public at large caused by my earlier weakness. From now on, I am determined not to sign any more repentance statements even if it means death. January 29, 2001