The Facts of the Persecution of Falun Gong  -- October 11, 2006

Issued by Clearwisdom Net

Content

  • 7-Year-Old: "I Want My Mom and Dad to Come Back"

  • Details on the Persecution of Practitioners at Wuyuan Forced Labor Camp in Inner Mongolia

  • A Mother Goes to Visit Her Son in Prison for Three Years - But Is Denied

  • Ms. Kong Xiangjian and Her Husband from Liaoning Province Arrested

  • Exposing the Torture of Falun Gong Practitioners in Hunan Province Women's Prison

  • Lawless Officials in Li County, Hebei Province Extort Substantial Amounts of Money From Peasants



  • 7-Year-Old: "I Want My Mom and Dad to Come Back"

    My name is Tiantian and I'm seven years old. One day in September 1999 some policemen broke into my home and forced my mom and dad into a police van. Mom held me tightly in her arms. At the time I was only ten months old. The policemen wouldn't let us go home and they detained the three of us in a deserted building. Every day there were four guards watching over us in shifts. How terrible and cold that broken building was!

    One evening in October 1999 several policemen suddenly broke in and took my dad away. My daddy didn't come back until the next morning. I cried the word "daddy" toward the window and door and my mom held me and cried. My mom and I stayed in the broken building for two months. Sometimes we didn't have any food to eat and mom had to suffer the hunger. I was so hungry that I grabbed a cold bun and took a bite. At the time I had only eight little teeth.

    One evening in November a bunch of people broke into the place and asked my mom, "Is Falun Gong good or not?" My mom said, "Falun Dafa is good." They asked her again, "Do you still practice Falun Gong?" Mom said, "Yes." I was so scared that I held my mom's neck and wouldn't let her go. I was afraid of leaving my mom. The policemen dragged me from her, and I desperately cried, "Mom!" I was so scared and I didn't want to leave her. The policemen dragged my mom into the police wagon and took her away. I was sent to my grandmother's home. My grandpa and grandma cried endlessly in those days.

    In the spring of 2003 I heard that my mom was tortured so severely by the wardens at the forced labor camp that she was sent to a hospital for major surgery. My grandpa and grandma went to the forced labor camp in a hurry to visit my mom. The guards there refused to let them in. They went there again and again and finally saw my mom. My mom could hardly move, and she could only walk slowly up and down the stairs with the assistance and help of others. My grandpa and grandma were very upset seeing this.

    Whenever my mom and dad were mentioned, my grandpa and grandma couldn't help crying. I missed my mom and dad, but I dared not say it. I worried that my grandparents would grieve too much.

    Last summer my mom finally came back home. I saw her after anticipating the moment for so long. My mom looked pale and she walked slowly, as if her leg was injured. She was very weak and could only lay down on the bed. I sat beside her. My grandparents told me that the guards at the forced labor camp beat my mom. I was very upset. Why did they treat my dear mom like that?

    My mom has always told me that I should be a good kid who complies with the universal characteristics of "Zhen, Shan, Ren" (Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance). She also told me to forgive others. I want so much to live with my mom and dad, and hope to have a warm family like other children do, but my mom is afraid of being arrested by the police and dares not come home. Mom, where are you? Do you have food and clothes? Are you cold?

    My dad is in jail. Did he have a hard time too? I heard that my father became deaf in his left ear after being beaten, and his kidneys were injured. Why were the policemen there so cruel? My dad is a good person! At his workplace he was recognized every year as a model worker, and he's a good father at home. You shouldn't treat my father like this.

    I miss my mom and dad so much...



    Details on the Persecution of Practitioners at Wuyuan Forced Labor Camp in Inner Mongolia

    Wuyuan Forced Labor Camp in Inner Mongolia persecutes male practitioners. Since it began imprisoning Falun Gong practitioners in September 2000, and at the continued instigation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a myriad of inhumane and brutal tortures have been used against practitioners. The labor camp has committed and continues to commit countless heinous crimes against practitioners.

    Besides using forced labor to torture practitioners, they also force practitioners to attend "brainwashing sessions," where they use despicable, underhanded methods to persecute practitioners. Information about these crimes is tightly sealed, and even regular criminals or non-participating guards do not know what goes on inside. The more-than twenty practitioners imprisoned there are subjected to both physical and psychological tortures that are inhumane beyond words. Currently, three practitioners are still in isolation: Mr. Qi Rimailatu, Mr. Yang Yongqiang and Mr. Wang Yongquan. Each is monitored by two substance abuse convicts around the clock. Mr. Qi, who is already more than seventy years old, constantly suffers from beatings and harsh verbal abuse by convict Liu Zhengrong, and is often denied breakfast. Of course, the beatings and abuse of practitioners are all done by the criminals with the backing and encouragement of the guards. Zhao Naidong personally instructed Liu Zhengrong to beat Mr. Qi. Moreover, these monitoring criminals are rewarded with reduced sentences for their work. The other two younger practitioners have been subjected to even more physical torture. They have been beaten with electric batons after midnight so that their cries and shouts are not heard. The guards handcuff the practitioner, put a motorcycle helmet on his head, and then shock him with several electric batons. The only reason they put a helmet on the practitioner's head is because they are afraid that the victim might knock his head against the wall due to the pain.

    For many years, they have tortured all new and unwavering practitioners who came to the labor camp. The chief methods they use are brutal beatings and shocking with electric batons. Practitioners have been taken to a lamb farm not far away or a cemetery, then handcuffed and shocked. Practitioners are also threatened with being buried alive. They have been beaten to unconsciousness or to the point of a mental collapse so that they would submit to the authorities' demands. Some practitioners have been beaten until they could not move at all. These practitioners are carried back, put into small cells, and released after they recuperated. They are then threatened never to reveal to outsiders the atrocities to which they were subjected. Mr. Zhao Guangjun was shocked with an electric baton until his entire chest and stomach were covered with injuries. They filled with pus and left lifetime scars on his body. The guards' deceptive tactics are beyond imagination. Their fake kindness has fooled many who do not know the truth about Falun Gong. These guards appear to be very calm and compassionate when they communicate with outsiders, and no one could imagine that they instantly transform into demons, torturing practitioners in the most horrible of ways.

    In the winter of 2004, a so-called "transformation center" was set up in the labor camp in charge of persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. It was here that the persecution methods were perfected and became more professional. The professional "transformation" staff included Liu Baohua, deputy team leader Zhao Naidong, guard Yang Xiao (this person has already quit), management section leader Zhao Naiwei, education section leader Wei Yuzhi, and deputy leader of management section Liu Sizhe (also known as Liu Ming). Other people who participated included doctor Zou Yan, the so-called psychological counseling chief Liu Jun, and another person surnamed Yang. The head of the "transformation center" is deputy camp leader Yang Furong, who instigated camp leader Wei Minxuan to beat practitioners with electric batons as a matter of course in the presence of Yang Furong himself, Liu Baohua, Wei Yuzhi, and Zou Yan.

    Even though Wuyan Labor Camp keeps saying that it maintains "civilized management" in order to "build a harmonious labor camp," team leaders were made to study the six orders passed down by the Judicial Department repeatedly. The truth of the situation is that the electric shocks never stop and all the persecution methods are constantly implemented. They have been persecuting peaceful, nonviolent practitioners, who never rebut or hit back, without letup. They also defame Falun Gong and try to force practitioners to write statements according to their requirements, persecuting those who refuse.



    A Mother Goes to Visit Her Son in Prison for Three Years - But Is Denied

    During the three years of her son's prison detention, no matter whether it was snowing heavily or extremely hot, Mr. Wu Zhiqiang's mother never gave up appealing for her son. On every family visiting day, she would arrive at the prison in the early morning and ask to meet her son. However, she was never allowed to see him until he was released.

    On February 3, 2003, Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Wu Zhiqiang from the Qiaokou District of Wuhan City, Hubei Province, was arrested for spreading truth-clarifying materials. He was then sentenced to three years in prison. After his release on August 3, 2006, the director of the Qiaokou District 610 Office Xie Guanchang, led a group of people to abduct Mr. Wu. He was sent directly to a brainwashing session for further persecution.

    Wu Zhiqiang's mother is over 60 years old. During those initial three years of her son's detention, she kept appealing for her son's innocence without ever getting an answer. On August 3, she arrived at Qinduankou Prison in Hanyang City in the early morning to pick up her son. However, her son had already been secretly picked up by the director of the 610 Office, Xie Guanchang, and other people, who sent him directly to the brainwashing center.

    She was extremely angry. She found Xie Guangchang and asked for her son. Xie told her that he had been informed by the provincial government that if a Falun Gong practitioner was not "transformed" within his detention period, he/she must be sent to a brainwashing center for forced "transformation." Xie's excuse was that he was just following orders. She asked him where the brainwashing center was, but he did not tell her. He simply told her that if she wanted to find her son, she'd have to go to the provincial government.

    Every day, she looked for her son in extremely hot weather. She went to the provincial 610 Office, the district 610 Office, the Street and Neighborhood Committee, the provincial brainwashing center, the city's brainwashing center, and the district's brainwashing center. Finally, she arrived at the Erdaopeng Brainwashing Center in Jianghan District. The worker she spoke with admitted that Wu Zhiqiang was inside and accepted the clothes that she had brought for her son. However, they have yet to let her meet with him.

    From June 2002 on, the director of the Qiaokou District 610 Office, Xie Guanchang, has followed the orders of the Chinese Communist Party to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. He has held more than 20 brainwashing sessions and has used various cruel methods to torture Falun Gong practitioners who refused to be "transformed," including sleep deprivation, standing punishment, exposure to the hot sun, freezing, beating, forced-feeding and handcuffing. As a result, dozens of persecuted practitioners were injured or became disabled.


    Ms. Kong Xiangjian and Her Husband from Liaoning Province Arrested

    Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Kong Xiangjian and her husband from Fuxin City, Liaoning Province were both followed one day in April 2003, and were arrested by police from the Haizhou District Department and Heping Station. They were both sentenced to prison without any justification, and their four year-old child and old, ill parents were left without proper care.

    Ms. Kong Xiangjian was detained in the Shenyang City Women's Prison Block (formerly called the Dabei Prison). Because she refused to give up her faith. Ms. Kong has been tortured by being deprived of sleep, having a needle pierced into her hands, and heavy labor. She eventually suffered a mental collapse as a result. Her mother is very sad and worried about her.

    Learning of the organ harvesting atrocities at the Sujiatun and other concentration camps, Ms. Kong's family is even more worried about her. Ms. Kong's child has suffered greatly, is very weak and easily becomes ill.


    Exposing the Torture of Falun Gong Practitioners in Hunan Province Women's Prison

    I have been detained in Hunan Province Women's Prison due to my belief in Falun Gong. I am exposing the cruel torture that Falun Gong practitioners have endured by sharing my own personal experience.

    Of the people detained in the the Education/Reform Team, fifty percent are Falun Gong practitioners. Every practitioner is closely monitored, even when using the bathroom. Practitioners are not allowed to talk or whisper to each other, and are absolutely not allowed any communication about safe-guarding or validating Falun Gong. If they communicate, they are brutally beaten by the guards. Sometimes, several prisoners and guards beat a practitioner and swear at her, but none of them will admit to it afterwards.

    The prison administration tries to increase the forced labor with all sorts of excuses. Also, some practitioners are locked in solitary confinement for reading Master's new scriptures, or doing the exercises, and their hands are cuffed behind their backs, with one arm over the shoulder. Sometimes their feet and hands are cuffed together. Guards with electric batons shock practitioners, or hang them from their handcuffed wrists, only allowing the tips of their toes to touch the floor. The solitary confinement cell is very small, and practitioners must eat, drink and go to the bathroom in the cell. In the summer there are many mosquitoes, and in the winter the cell is freezing cold, and practitioners have to sleep on the cement floor.

    There is a strict monitoring team which is especially used to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. The torture methods they use include sitting on a one-legged small stool, shocking practitioners with electric batons, and subjecting them to the hot summer sun of 104oF, which in turn causes eyesight damage. Some practitioners lose one pound per day due to the torture.

    The guards often increase the amount of forced labor, depriving practitioners of their right to have visitation or to buy necessities once a month. Guards also withhold practitioners' receipt of mail that contains cash, or packages from their families. Each cell is 300 square feet and houses 10-14 people. This is where they eat, sleep and do labor, and they are not allowed out. The hot water container (running water is not suitable to drink in China) and buckets are put in the hallway. If practitioners go and get water or buckets, they must enter the room quickly, otherwise the monitoring group will swear at them. When they were forced to labor peeling fava beans, the beans were soaking everywhere and the smell was very bad, and made the cell very wet. Even the comforters were soaking wet. When they made dolls in the summer, the synthetic dust floated everywhere in the air.

    The Education/Reform Team's head was Li Chunhui (gender unknown), who left the team in 2006, when the team was divided into two groups. Although practitioners are still being locked in small cells (1), the strict monitoring of the team and the forced labor has been reduced, but guards are still torturing Falun Gong practitioners. The Hunan Province Women's Prison deputy head is Zhao Lan (female).

    Note:

    (1) Small cell - The detainee is locked up in a very small cell individually. The guards handcuff practitioners hands behind their back in a fixed position, in which the practitioners can neither move nor lie down. The small cell is very damp and no sunshine comes in. Detainees have to urinate and defecate in the cell. Only half of a regular meal is served to detainees locked up in a small cell during the daytime. During the night, rats run about. The stench in the small cell is so bad that it is difficult to breathe.



    Lawless Officials in Li County, Hebei Province Extort Substantial Amounts of Money From Peasants

    Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Guo Jungu and Ms. Cui Xiaowu are both about 60 years old. They were reported at 10:00 p.m. on September 1, 2006, as they distributed truth clarification materials. Ms. Guo and Cui were illegally arrested and held at the Li County Detention Center for nearly one month. Then they were taken to the Baoding Labor Camp on September 29, 2006. Ms. Cui Xiaowu was released due to her poor health. We presume that Guo Jungu has been sent to a labor camp. The details require further investigation.

    A while ago, Guo Jungu and Cui Xiaowu's families received phone calls saying, "Her term is close to expiration. Do you want to pay some money and get her paroled or have her sent to a labor camp?" The Communist officials demanded 10,000 yuan from each family. The families each had to borrow and pooled 8,000 yuan. Li County official Zhai Xiaoping took the money [16,000 yuan] and said, "OK, if they don't come out today, they will tomorrow." Li County Party Committee secretary Ning Hongmao and Wang Jianying, the 610 Office head, tried to send the two practitioners to a labor camp, even after being paid the bribe.

    Guo Jungu and Cui Xiaowu's families are poor. Each family was already extorted 3,000 yuan in 2002 and not given a receipt. The only furniture at Cui Xiaowu's home is a mud brick bed and a very old couch (explanation: in rural China, beds are frequently platforms constructed of brick, fairly high off the floor, that sometimes can be heated from below. They are large enough to hold more than one person). Cui Xiaowu's father-in-law is in his 80s. He cries and waits for her to come home. He says to people, "She's been gone for so long. I don't know what she is doing now." (explanation: historically, Chinese society is based on the family unit; this family unit and family ties are more important than any other association in society).

    Cui Xiaowu and Guo Jungu's husbands are simple and hard-working peasants. They know that their wives became healthy and more considerate after they began Falun Gong practice. The women took care of the elders and did chores in the field and around the house. After their arrest, there is no one to take care of the aged parents and not enough manpower to harvest the corn and cotton. The practitioners' daughters were anxious in this latest incident after they received a phone call from government officials. They begged friends and relatives to loan them money without their fathers and sisters-in-law's knowledge. They went to four or five households and were finally able to get 8,000 yuan each. The daughters-in-law later learned about it and said, "They didn't provide a receipt after they took 3,000 yuan from us in 2002, and now they are taking 8,000 yuan from us! How are we ever going to pay back the debt? How do we live from now on? Why do they target Falun Gong practitioners?" They cried.

    Fellow villagers condemned the officials saying, "They are going against their conscience! These two practitioners are really good people!" Someone said, "Both of your families barely scrape by, and yet the corrupt officials are taking money from you. Don't give it to them! If you give them 100 yuan today, tomorrow they will demand 1,000 yuan and 10,000 yuan the day after that. They think we common people are easy targets and don't know anything about the law. We think the arresting officials have violated the law. In fact, the corrupt officials are violating the law. Don't give them a single penny!"