(Clearwisdom.net) Ms. Zhang Yufang, who is in her sixties, is a Falun Gong practitioner in Qingshan, Wuhan City. Because she went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong in 1999, the 610 Office, the Public Security Bureau, and the local police station and government authorities have constantly harassed her. She cannot remember clearly how many times, when, or where she has been persecuted. She can only remember that she was unlawfully sent to a forced labor camp twice, and what she remembers relatively clearly is the second time that she was sent to the Eighth Group at Hewan Forced Labor Camp.

Ms. Zhang Yufang started practicing Falun Going in 1995. Before that, her health was poor and she loved competing and fighting. She was never willing to budge when it came to her personal interests. She suffered from hepatitis B, stomach troubles, and neurasthenia. She had tried all kinds of treatments and spent a lot of money, yet her health did not improve. After practicing Falun Gong, she disciplined herself in following the principles "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance," and asked herself to think of others first. She recovered from many diseases without the need for medical treatment. She became energetic, and even young people couldn't match her when it came to walking or working. Her family and neighbors all praised her and thought that she was like a different person.

Then, on July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party started to persecute Falun Gong. Facing many pressures, she went to Beijing to clarify the truth to the government with her personal cultivation experience. The government officials did not listen to the heartfelt voices of these kind, compassionate people who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. Instead, the government turned their kind deeds and words into a reason to persecute them.

In October 2002, 610 Office agents and local government cadres went to Ms. Zhang's home and deceived her family by saying that they had come to pick her up for a conference, and that she would return home after studying for two days. Her family believed the lie, and arranged for her to go with them. Ms. Zhang did not want to go, so they dragged her by her feet from the third floor, stuffed her into a car, and took her to a brainwashing center.

In the brainwashing center, they tried to force her to give up her faith every day. She insisted that cultivating "Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance" was not wrong. They exhausted all kinds of methods without being able to shake her faith. After persecuting her for twenty days, they decided on a one-year term in a forced labor camp and took her to the Eighth Group in Hewan Forced Labor Camp.

Huang Hong, the head of the Eighth Group, is an activist who closely follows Jiang's regime to persecute Falun Gong. She is cold-hearted and will do anything to persecute Falun Gong. In order to forcibly "transform" Zhang Yufang, she sent six young criminals to twist her arms and hands, put a pen in her hand, and hold on to her hand to try to force her to sign in the "transformed" book. Ms. Zhang spared no effort in resisting and prevented them from succeeding.

Unable to "transform" Ms. Zhang, Huang Hong ordered people to watch her in shifts and deprive her of sleep. They forced her to stand for 13 days and nights without moving a bit.

Eventually, in a daze, Ms. Zhang fell to the ground. The bones in her face and nose were fractured, and she bled all over the floor. Afraid of the bad effect the incident might have, criminal inmates were immediately ordered to clean up the blood. They then spent 1,300 yuan to take her to a hospital for an operation. Not wanting her family to find out about this, they didn't allow them to visit her. Later when the family brought some clothing to her, and insisted on seeing her, they noticed that her head and face were very swollen and disfigured. The authorities tried to conceal the truth and told the family that it was the result of her not sleeping, and that she had passed out and fallen down. Ms. Zhang told her family that they did not let her sleep.

Later Ms. Zhang was transferred to the Sixth Group of Hewang Forced Labor Camp. In the Sixth Group, she was put in solitary confinement for 13 days. The solitary confinement cell was dark and damp with countless mosquitoes. She did not have a fan, nor any freedom. She tolerated the hot weather and mosquitoes every day. In addition, so-called "associate educators" took turns harassing her, giving her no breaks and trying to wear her down to make her give up her cultivation. Zhang Yufang had a very firm will. She was released after being imprisoned for one year.

May 11, 2008