Name: Chen Xiumei (陈秀梅)
Gender: Female
Age: 55
Address: Baoding City, Hebei Province
Occupation: Employee of Baoding Cotton Mill
Date of Most Recent Arrest: January 8, 2009
Most Recent Place of Detention: Hebei Women's Forced Labor Camp (河北女子劳教所)
City: Shijiazhuang
Province: Hebei
Persecution Suffered: Detention, surveillance, fired from workplace, forced labor, brutal beatings, damaging force-feeding, hung up, denied visits, forced to stand still for a long period of time, sleep deprivation.
Key Persecutors: Chief Liu Ziwei of the First Division, deputy warden Feng Kezhuang, instructor Wang Weiwei
(Minghui.org) On the morning of September 11, 2012, Ms. Chen Xiumei went to the police station to recover her key that officers had confiscated. The police arrested her and held her in Shijiazhuang Women’s Forced Labor Camp. This is the fourth time she has been held in a forced labor camp.
Ms. Chen Xiumei
On September 8, Ms. Kong Hongxun and Ms. Chen had gone to visit Ms. Chen's relative in Xiantai County. On their way home, a police van passed them, made a U-turn, and headed back. Five or six officers, including Hu Guoyi, searched the two women. Discovering Falun Dafa truth-clarification materials on them, the police dragged them into their vehicle and took them to Xiantai Township Police Station. Because Ms. Chen suddenly had heart issues, they took her to Baoding Legal Hospital where they took her blood and did an ECG. They then took her to Baoding Detention Center. She was released at midnight. Ms. Kong's moped and keys and Ms. Chen's keys were confiscated.
On the morning of September 10, Ms. Kong went to the Xiantai Police Station to get her moped back, but could not. On the morning of the 11th, she went back again. The police told her that if she signed certain documents and got Ms. Chen to come to the station, she could have her bike and keys. When Ms. Chen came, the police arrested both of them. At 6 p.m. Ms. Kong was released. Ms. Chen was transferred to a forced labor camp the same evening.
Arrested and Persecuted Eight Times for Being a Good Person and Speaking for the Truth
Ms. Chen was formerly employed at Baoding Cotton Mill. She began to practice Falun Gong in 1996 and her many health problems went away. She has been living by the principals of Truth-Compassion-Forbearance discussed in Zhuan Falun, and she has been caring for others and practicing forbearance amidst conflicts so that her family has become harmonized. People who used to be her enemies said, "She has changed completely and looks like a new person."
After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began to persecute Falun Gong, Ms. Chen went to Beijing to appeal to the government. Because she has been persistent in clarifying the facts about Falun Gong, she has been arrested and detained eight times, and been under house arrest for a long time. On "sensitive dates" she gets harassed. In addition, her employer was ordered to fire her.
In early February 2000 after Ms. Chen went to Beijing to appeal to the government, she was arrested but managed to escape. On February 17, she went to Beijing to appeal to the government again, She was arrested and detained first at Baoding Detention Center and then transferred to another detention center, where she was brutally force-fed and held for more than 30 days. At the end of 2000, Ms. Chen went to Beijing to appeal to the government again. She was arrested and held for 15 days in the Baoding City Detention Center. On May 11, 2001, people from Xinshi District 610 Office and the local community management committee arrested her and took her to the brainwashing center.
In 2002 Ms. Chen was taken to Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp. On February 6, 2005, when she was released, she was at the brink of death. She could hardly recognize anyone, including her family members. She had lost the ability to speak, and she couldn't eat. In 2006, she was sent to Baoding Forced Labor Camp. When she was released that same year she was again near death. She recovered quickly by practicing and studying Falun Dafa.
On January 8, 2009, officers from the Jingxiu Police Station in Baoding City arrested Ms. Chen. On January 15, she was arrested and detained at the No.1 Team in the Women's Forced Labor Camp in Hebei Province, where she was subjected to all kinds of inhuman torture.
After she came back from the forced labor camp, in order to protest the inhuman torture she endured in the labor camp, Ms. Chen sued Feng Kezhuang, the director of the forced labor camp; team leader Liu Ziwei; and political instructor Wang Weiwei.
People Touched by Unyielding Will
The Xinshi District 610 Office in Baoding City, police station, and local community management committee put Ms. Chen under 24-hour surveillance. Her husband had been laid off from his job a long time ago and she lost her job, but she had to support her daughter in school. She couldn't make ends meet, so she built a small building in front of her residence and began to make a living by selling some goods.
After Ms. Chen was taken to the forced labor camp, her family nearly came apart. Her small business folded. Her daughter, who was preparing for the university entrance exam, failed to get admitted the first year because of the stress.
Her letter outlining the persecution she suffered has been sent to officers at different levels. People from Shijiazhuang Women's Forced Labor Camp ganged up with the Baoding City 610 Office, the police station, and the local communist management committee to persecute her. Her husband was interrogated and threatened a few times. He was so traumatized that he began to yell in his dreams. Ms. Chen continued to clarify the facts to people and expose the persecution.
One time at a wedding banquet, she talked about Falun Gong and the persecution to those sitting at the same table. Several were moved by her ordeal and her kind personality and helped her recover her retirement pension, which had been illegally suspended.
Attachment: Statement of Case
Accuser: Chen Xiumei
Accused Persons:
Feng Kezhuang, deputy warden of Hebei Women's Forced Labor Camp
Liu Ziwei, chief of the First Division of Hebei Women's Forced Labor Camp
Wang Weiwei, instructor
Case Summary:
My name is Chen Xiumei. I am from Baoding, Hebei Province. Between January 15, 2009, and January 23, 2010, I was detained in the First Division of Hebei Women's Forced Labor Camp. During this time, Liu Ziwei, chief of the First Division, tortured me. He ordered guards to pull my hair, beat me, and verbally abuse me, which left permanent scars on my body. My right arm was partially disabled. They also spread rumors, saying that I had psychosis.
According to the 248th item of the Criminal Law code: "If a guard from a supervision department such as a prison, lockup center, or detention center, physically punishes, beats, and/or tortures a detainee, and if the circumstances are serious, the guard will be sentenced to up to three years in prison; if the circumstances are extremely serious, the guard will be sentenced to three to ten years in prison. If the detainee becomes disabled or dies, according to the 234th item and the 232th item, the guard will be heavily sentenced." "It should be pointed out that when the crime of abusing detainees is determined, consistent cruelty is not required. A single act of severe physical punishment is determined to be a crime."
Based on what the accused have done, the accuser submits the following requests:
The accused persons are suspected of harming and abusing detainees deliberately. I ask that the procuratorial departments conduct an investigation and pursue any criminal conduct of the accused persons according to the law.
The accused persons should compensate the accuser for physical and mental harm according to the law.
Details and evidence:
1. Brutal beatings, verbal abuse, torture, and forced standing
After I had just arrived in the forced labor camp in January 2009, Liu Ziwei ordered Zhu Liying and other guards on duty to take off my down coat, sweater, woolen long johns, and even my underwear. All of my clothes were torn up and tossed into a trash can. They forced me to wear a thin labor camp uniform. I wore just this thin garment in the cold winter for almost one month. One day, clothes sent to me by my family arrived. I took a shower, changed into my own clothes, and washed the labor camp uniform. Liu Zongzhen, Wu Haixia, Zhang Yuanyuan, and Liu Juan beat me when they saw that I was not wearing the uniform. They slapped me in the face, pulled my hair, and kicked me. Liu Zongzhen pinched my breast. Wu Haixia kept verbally abusing me. Later on, they stripped me again and tore up all my clothes and tossed them into a trash can. I was forced to wear the uniform again. Liu Ziwei did not stop the guards, but instead ordered them to drag me into an office with my feet scraping the floor. My pants fell down, but they did not allow me to pull them up. The guards beat me with batons and kicked me. Instructor Wang Weiwei assisted the guards. After being brutally beaten for half an hour, I was handcuffed to a heating pipe. They opened the window to cause me to freeze. I was forced to stand, and my legs became swollen. I was not allowed to sleep and was only allowed limited use of the bathroom. They did not stop torturing me until noon.
In late January 2009, I was sitting on the upper bunk of a bunk bed. Liu Ziwei and guard Zhang Yuanyuan grabbed my hair to pull me down. I held onto the bed rail and would not let them pull me down. Liu Ziwei used more force, pulled out a handful of my hair, and I almost fell. They slapped me in the face and punched and kicked me. I was dragged into a small storage room. Liu and Zhang took turns beating me, slapping me in the face, and slamming my head against the wall. I was beaten to the ground. Liu ordered Zhang to handcuff me to a heating pipe. After I could not move, they administered another round of blows and kicks. I felt dizzy and my ears were ringing. I was in extreme pain and kept screaming. Liu was afraid that others would hear my screams, so they shut the door tightly. Liu took off his shirt, used it to hit my face, and stuffed my mouth with socks. They also pinched my arms and legs. I was beaten for over an hour, until Liu got tired. As a result of the beatings, I was covered with bruises.
Liu Ziwei and other guards beat and abused me many times.
2. Handcuffed and hung up for one month
In February and March 2009, Liu Ziwei handcuffed my hands to the bed rail of the upper bunk. Sometimes, one of my hands was cuffed to a heating pipe and the other was cuffed to the bed rail. They only opened the handcuffs when I used the bathroom or ate. This caused a lot of pain. I could not stand up straight or sit down. My arms went numb and swelled. I hurt all over. I was only given 1 to 3 buns each day, with no vegetables or soup. I was only allowed to use the bathroom twice a day. Sometimes, I could not hold it and wet my pants. Liu Ziwei ordered on-duty guards Zhu Liying, Liu Juan, Wu Haixia, Liu Zongzhen, Zhang Luyu, and Zhang Yuanyuan to beat and curse me constantly. Zhang Yuanyuan beat me the worst. Once she dug her fingernails into my face, which left scars. She did not stop slapping me in the face until my face was swollen and disfigured. I was handcuffed and then hung up like this for almost a month. Every time I was let down, my arms were very stiff and I had difficulty trying to squat down to use the bathroom. As a result of the torture, I still cannot stretch my right arm straight and there are lumps on my legs. Zhang Yanchun from Tangshan and Song Ruixian from Cangzhou witnessed the torture.
3. Officials deprived me of family visits, arbitrarily extended my term, and spread a rumor that I had psychosis
Over more than one year, my family went to the forced labor camp many times. The camp refused all of their requests to visit me. Later on, my family went to the Forced Labor Bureau. With the involvement of the Forced Labor Bureau, the labor camp allowed my family to visit me once, on April 23, 2009. During the whole visit, I was only able to say two or three sentences to them. In addition, the labor camp forced my family to write a "visiting experience statement" and sign it. Liu Ziwei also spread a rumor, saying I had psychosis. Many detainees fell for the rumor, contributing to the pressure I had to endure in the labor camp.
When my term was over, I asked the chiefs on duty why I was not being released. None of them gave me a clear reply, saying only that I would be released when they allowed me to leave. Thus, my term was extended by two weeks.
All of the above are facts. As a guard, Liu Ziwei violated the law while in a position of responsibility. I strongly urge the procuratorates and the enforcement supervisory departments to investigate her criminal acts immediately, and to deal with her criminal acts according to the law and uphold justice.
The 41st item of the Constitution of our country says: "Chinese citizens have the right to provide criticism and suggestions to any government department and government employee. To any government department and government employee who violates the law or neglects their duties, Chinese citizens have the right to file complaints and lawsuits or report to higher authorities. However, citizens cannot fabricate or distort the facts to file a false accusation." I am a citizen who follows the law. I am known as a good person in the company where I worked, and by my family and peers. Despite the treatment I received, I did not respond with any violent action. I am simply reporting to the relevant authorities peacefully. Herein, I sincerely request the relevant authorities fulfill your responsibilities, investigate the case, and bring these criminals to justice.
Relevant phone numbers:
Hao Lin, person in charge of Hebei Province Woman's Forced Labor Camp: +86-311-83939188
Liu Ziwei, No.1 Team guard: +86-311-83939136
Wang Weiwei and Zhang Yanyan, No.1 Team team leaders
Related articles:
Ms. Chen Xiumei Brutally Tortured at Baoding Labor Camp in Hebei Province
http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2007/6/4/86429.html
Imprisoned Practitioner Chen Xiumei from Baoding on Hunger Strike to Protest the Persecution
http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2009/5/2/107010.html
Ms. Chen Xiumei Tortured in Hebei Province Women's Forced Labor Camp (Photo)
http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2009/5/26/107721.html
After Being Detained in Forced Labor Camps Three Times, Ms. Chen Xiumei Sues Her Persecutors
http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/12/12/121904.html
Please refer to the original Chinese text for more names and telephone numbers.
