The network of brainwashing offices set up by the 610 offices exists outside the Chinese judicial system. It has its own rules, organization and goals, which are not allowed to be made public. These excerpts from leaked documents show the goal is to get practitioners to renounce their belief in Falun Gong, promise not to practice the exercises, and prove their conversion by denouncing Falun Gong publicly and helping to convert other practitioners.

Mr. Cao's case is one in which, after a person is arrested and their property confiscated, their families cannot even find out where they are imprisoned.

The notorious Masanjia Forced Labor Camp will risk the loss of a prisoner's life rather than risk exposure of their abuses to outside authorities.

Covert "Rules and Regulations" Reveal CCP Crimes

Recently a document marked "secret" was leaked from the Ziyang City Brainwashing Center in Sichuan Province. The document, "Rules and Regulations by the Ziyang City Authorities for Reform Through Education," is a collection of rules arranged in 13 sections. They include "Work Responsibilities of the Education and Research Team" at the brainwashing center, "Work Responsibilities of the Security Team," "Work Responsibilities of the Medical Team," "Work Responsibilities of the Aides and Companion Aides," "Security System," and "Standards of Reform through Education." This is significant written evidence of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in brainwashing centers.

So-called "reform through education centers" are actually brainwashing centers. They operate outside of the Chinese judicial system. The centers were specifically established to brainwash Falun Gong practitioners. These brainwashing centers, which are controlled by local "610 Offices," have been established throughout China. In almost every city, the CCP established brainwashing centers with names like "Holiday Villa" or "Legal Education Center" or "Legal Education School." Real life examples of Orwellian doublespeak, these names are carefully crafted to cover up the real purpose of the centers. The staff at the brainwashing centers deprive practitioners of their freedom and torture them physically and mentally. The Ziyang City Brainwashing Center is located on the shore of Er'e Lake between Ziyang City and Yingjie Township, in Yanjiang District, and was named "Er'e Lake Old People's Holiday Villa."

Since the brainwashing center is independent of the judicial system, its arbitrary rulings, covert operations and cruelty are rarely learned of beyond their walls. The secret document was leaked by a good-hearted person, and provides proof that within the centers there are different teams assigned to the persecution of practitioners, including the "Education and Research Team," "Security Team," "Medical Team," and so on. They have a clear division of labor and run a tight ship.

Please find below some sections from the document.

1. To perform well and ensure the security as well as the monitoring of practitioners in accordance with the administrative requirements of the "standardization, para-militarization and science orientation." (Article 1 of the "Work Responsibilities of the Security Team")

2. To step up political and theoretical study to strengthen the confidence in the intensive assault -- plunge yourself into the education and reform work to fulfill the task of reform through education. (Article 2 of the "Work Responsibilities of the Aides and Companion Aides")

3. To persist in education by taking measures suited to each individual, based on the principle of one method for one individual in reforming the students. To draft a plan for assistance and education to assure the feasibility and practicality of the reform through education. (Article 6 of the "Work Responsibilities of Aides and Companion Aides")

4. To comply with security regulations, the aides and companion aides must not bring any educational materials into the students' cell, must not place any secret documents on the table, must not discuss in the students' room any issues related to the work at the reform through education center, must not receive or make phone calls in the students' cell, must not disclose any information of this directive to the outside world, must not provide any means of communication or transportation to the students, must not photo-copy or furnish any documents or materials on assistance and education work without permission. (Article 2 of the "Work Discipline of the Aides and Companion Aides")

5. Strict control measures. The aides and companion aides must design a reasonable on-duty plan that includes monitoring the students around the clock. All students must be within view or control at all times. Everyone must stop the students from doing exercises or making noises in their rooms. The aides and companion aides must do a good job during shift transfers. There must be at least one aide in the office at all times. There cannot be any discontinuance of the surveillance. (Article 4 of the "Work Discipline of the Aides and Companion Aides")

6. No one may reveal this directive to the public. No one may disclose the working methods and policies, addresses or contact information to unauthorized people, or speak of the organization and administration or the education and daily life of the students. (Article 4 of the "Security Regulations")

The document states that the "Standards of Reform through Education" are based on the standards in reforming Falun Gong practitioners developed by 610 Office staff from the central government. The main purpose is forcing the practitioners to give up their beliefs. Below are some of the directives:

1. The practitioners must write and hand in what they have gained from studying the Falun Gong principles regularly and give true accounts of one's personal cultivation, as well as how he/she participated in the Falun Gong activities. (Article 1 of the "Standards of Reform Through Education")

2. Practitioners must pledge in writing to publicly make a clean break from Falun Gong. (Article 2 of the "Standards of Reform Through Education")

3. Practitioners must guarantee not to practice the exercises, not to do the sitting meditation and not to chant (recite) Buddhist scriptures. (Article 3 of the "Standards of Reform Through Education)

4. Practitioners must hand in all Falun Gong materials and share what they know about the Falun Gong activities. (Article 4 of the "Standards of Reform through Education)

5. Practitioners must persuade staff of the student's true intent by citing one's experience in reforming other Falun Going practitioners. (Article 5 of the Standards of Reform Through Education")

6. Practitioners must criticize Falun Gong in public... (Article 6 of the "Standards of Reform Through Education")

We note that the evildoers want the students to"make a clean break" and "confess without being prompted," betray their friends, and also "persuade other practitioners to give up Falun Gong" by citing ones so-called experience. This is to help the evildoers commit crimes. The activities to "reform" practitioners are relentless and don't stop until they have "reformed" good people into bad people.

7. Practitioners must respect the hard work of the aides and companion aides, no one may have a conflict or argue with or take drastic actions against them. (Article 2 of the "Students Rules and Regulations")

Mr. Cao Guozhen Sentenced to Eight Years of Prison at Junan County, Shandong Province (Photo)

Mr. Cao Guozhen is 36 years old. On October 12, 2007, police officers from Junan County and the Zhulu Town Station entered Mr. Cao's home and confiscated personal property including a TV, DVD player, satellite receiver, laptop, and truth clarifying materials. They drove away Mr. Cao's little auto-taxi and arrested Mr. Cao.

Initially, Mr. Cao's family was told that he was being held at Junan County Detention Center. They heard nothing else because the police from Junan county denied Mr. Cao's family's requests to visit him, and also refused to forward any clothes or money to him. They simply claimed that Mr. Cao was holding a hunger strike as a form of protest.

Mr. Cao's family visited Junan County Police Department many times asking for permission to visit him. They also asked for his unconditional release but without any results. Mr. Cao's parents spent all their savings on these efforts. They are both in their seventies and had to travel over thirty miles each way with their little grandson, to plead with the authorities. On one occasion they were even brutally beaten by someone on the way.

In June 2008, the family of Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Cao Guozhen, in Junan County, Linyi City, Shandong Province, received a notice saying that Mr. Cao Guozhen had been sentenced to eight years in prison by Junan County Court. He was taken to the Jinan City Prison on June 11, 2008. The return address on the notice was: Drawer 11, P.O. Box 210, Jinan City Prison 91 Industry South Road (Qingqi Road), Jinan City.

Mr. Cao Guozhen

It is strange that in March 2008, Mr. Cao's family had received another prison admission notice from the Tai'an Prison. This notice made no mention of the duration of Mr. Cao's term. Since the admission notice from June 2008 was sent from the Jinan City Prison, the family was left to wonder which notice was correct and where Mr. Cao was actually being held.

Masanjia Forced Labor Camp Guard Strangled and Beat Mr. Xu Shanglong into Unconsciousness

Guards at Masanjia Forced Labor Camp in Shenyang, Liaoning Province recently beat Mr. Xu Shanglong into unconsciousness. Fearing exposure of their heinous deed, they refused to send the practitioner to the hospital. The following are details of the incident.

Mr. Xu Shanglong, around 35 years old, was incarcerated in the No. 8 Division of the No. 2 Men's Institute in Masanjia Forced Labor Camp. On June 20, 2008, when the inmates in the No. 8 Division went out for labor, Mr. Xu was unable to join them because he was bedridden with a high fever.

This angered guard Tang (surname), who was supposed to accompany the inmates in the team on their way to work. He accused Mr. Xu of feigning illness to avoid the work. Guard Tang verbally abused Mr. Xu and ordered the criminals on duty to drag him to work. Mr. Xu tried to explain, "I would appreciate if the guards would stop the verbal abuse and refrain from humiliating others. As a guard, you should behave yourselves well."

Mr. Xu's words shamed guard Tang, and he immediately became angry and hit Xu Shanglong with both hands. This did not appease his anger, so he tried to strangle Mr. Xu, and at the same time kicked him in the groin. Mr. Xu was severely injured and lost consciousness. It was a long time before he regained consciousness.

The officials refused to send Xu Shanglong to the hospital. The guards discussed the incident with the No. 8 Division head and decided that a hospital visit might reveal the sources of his injuries and Mr. Xu could then use such documentation to prosecute them, so they adamantly refused to let him go to the hospital.

Xu Shanglong was initially permitted to rest in his cell and someone brought him food from the canteen. A few days later, the guards made him go to the canteen to eat on his own, and threatened him that if he refused to eat they would force-feed him. A few days later they compelled him to do forced labor.