Police Atrocities in Hebei Province

Zhang Yuan (pseudonym to protect the practitioner from further persecution), 42 years old, from Baoding, Hebei Province

In February 2000, practitioner Zhang Yuan was arrested when going to Beijing to appeal and was brought back to the local Nanguan Police Station in Baoding. Zhang was body searched and all his money was taken. Zhang was detained in the Detention Center of Baoding City from late February to mid-April. During the period at the detention, a male interrogator spit on Zhang's face and threw cigarette butts at him.

Later, Zhang Yuan was taken by force to Shijiazhuang Labor Camp.

On the morning of April 17, while Zhang was writing a letter of appeal, an inspector (Note: The prisoners who keep watching on Falun Gong practitioners are called inspectors. They watch practitioners 24 hours a day) in the same cell robbed Zhang of his paper and pen and tore the appeal letter into pieces.

On April 25, Zhang was beaten viciously by inspectors Chai Ling and Ji Yixia for joining the group practice of Falun Gong exercises. Zhang's face turned blue after it was beaten, and for several days his body was swollen where he was beaten.

From May 1 to July 1, Zhang, together with 18 other Dafa practitioners and 20 inspectors were supervised in isolation for 2 months in several rooms in the Third Team of the labor camp. During this period of time, Dafa practitioners had no personal freedom. They were not allowed to meet with other Dafa practitioners even when going to the restroom and the water room (the room where water is supplied). Practitioners were not allowed to sit cross-legged, facing the wall, against the door or to close their eyes slightly.

Almost all the Dafa practitioners suffered abuses and cruel beatings at various degrees and many of them were tortured many times a day every day. Ji Yixia, the leader of the inspectors, often cursed and beat practitioners willfully. Ji Yixia and Zhao Dan from Zhuozhou were the most ferocious. They used various cruel means to torture Dafa practitioners. For example, they pulled practitioners' hair in order to slam practitioners' heads against the wall. They pinched practitioners' legs and arms, causing the bruises to be left on the legs for many days. They bent practitioners' thumb towards the back of the palm, and the thumbs were so badly hurt that the thumbs could not move freely for a long time. They slapped practitioners' faces and buttocks with the soles of their shoes. They forcefully twisted practitioners' forearms backwards, kicked the lower parts of their body, etc. When the practitioners kindly advised them to stop this ill-treatment, they said: "Nobody believes in your stuff (Note: It means the Karma-De transformation principle as expounded in Falun Dafa / translator). We only see the reality in front of us and do not believe in any supernormal power. You are ours to do with as we wish and we can beat and curse you whenever we want. There is no way for you to get back at us."

What is even more unbelievable is that not only did some team leaders allow the inspectors to beat practitioners, but they also beat Dafa practitioners themselves in front of many people. One day in late May 2000, because of lack of sleep, a practitioner unconsciously closed his eyes, and suddenly, a male team leader with the surname Nie slapped his face emphatically two times. In mid-June, 2000, practitioner Zhang was handcuffed to the legs of a table in a squatting position for several days because Zhang Yuan wanted to practice Falun Gong exercises. Practitioners were also hung from the edge of the window so that their feet could not touch the ground. When they were hung in this position for a long time, the pain caused nausea and vomiting.

At about 8:00PM on June 20, the 7th day that Zhang Yuan was handcuffed, a male team leader in his 30s (whose surname is Geng) took out several other practitioners who were handcuffed in the same room and left some in the room. He beat the practitioners left in the room viciously one by one in the excuse that they were not sitting in good postures and not obedient. He kicked the practitioners' waists and upper legs and punched their faces and chests. While he was beating them, he said: "I would rather not wear this police uniform (Note: It means he would rather lose the job / translator) than give up in punishing you Falun Gong practitioners." After being beaten, the practitioners were hung on the edge of the window with both hands handcuffed to the radiators. As time went by, they felt more and more painful and wanted to vomit. They were not allowed to fall asleep the whole night.

From July 1 to July 30, Zhang was cursed and beaten many times at the Fourth Team of the labor camp for copying and reciting the Teacher's articles. On July 20, Zhang wanted to go out and practice Falun Gong exercises and was then handcuffed for 7 days and nights. At night, both Zhang's hands were handcuffed to the bed and the handcuffs were not taken off even when Zhang used the restroom. In the hot summer season, there were many people in the room and there was no fan; the air in the room was very bad. The temperature was so high that it was hard to breathe. One can only imagine how painful their suffering was.

From July 7 to July 30, in order to validate that Dafa is cultivation and practicing Falun Gong is not a crime, more than 10 Dafa practitioners refused to participate in the roll call. Therefore, the team leaders decided to punish practitioners by having them stand for a long period of time. Shortly after they started to eat following a hunger strike that lasted for 7~~8 days, they were forced to stand from the time they got up in the morning until after midnight, often until 2:00AM. Because practitioners had not eaten anything for many days, they were very weak. The legs of practitioners Zhang Yuan, Li Xiaolian, Dong Qing, and Feng Hui (Note: These may also be pseudonyms to protect their identities) were swollen to such a degree that they were red and shiny. Practitioners also suffered from diarrhea. Even in such situations, they were not spared the punishment. This punishment lasted until July 31, when they were transferred from Shijiazhuang Labor Camp to Balizhuang, Baoding.

Liu Xiaowen (pseudonym): 46 years old, female, from Baoding, Hebei Province

On April 12, 2000, I was detained in Shijiazhuang Labor Camp. To validate that Dafa is righteous, I refused to participate in the forced labor education and was punished by having to stand from 6:00AM in the morning until 1:00~~2:00AM the next day. If my legs were not straight, the inspector would punch and kick me. Even when I was going to the restroom, I would be beaten or cursed. On April 30, because I wanted to practice Falun Gong exercises, several prisoners punched my left chest so viciously that I could not turn my body when sleeping at night because of the pain which pain lasted for one month. When they beat me, several of them tried to drag me behind the wall where no one could see. I resisted with all my strength. Since May 1, the practitioners on the first floor of the detention houses of the 1st, 3rd, 5th Team of Shijiazhuan Labor Camp were monitored one on one for two months. During this period, we were beaten and cursed every day. The prisoners Ji Yixia, Zhao Dan were like two demons who practiced boxing with the practitioners' bodies. They didn't even know how to speak human language; cursing was the only language they used.

We went on the hunger strike from July 3 until July 9 when we started to resume eating at noon of July 9. Because we refused previously to participate in a roll call, we were further punished. We were forced to stand from 9:30 PM to midnight that day and from the next morning when we got up to midnight the next day (the earliest time we could go to sleep was at midnight). Our legs were swollen from standing. At the same time, we were beaten and cursed by the inspectors. During the period between July 3 and July 9, Ji Yixia and Zhao Dan beat my chest and I have not yet fully recovered.

Zhao Qingning, 48, from Baoding, Hebei Province

On March 14, 2000, Zhao Qingning was tied up with ropes and two pieces of bricks. Which caused several male policemen to sweat. Because he refused to kneel down, Zhao was beaten with fist and foot and was pulled by his hair and slammed his head against a table.

On March 20, 2000, the supervisor beat him with fist and foot owing to his reciting Falun Dafa articles. When Zhao asked that supervisor what was his name, the Associate Director replied, "It is me who ordered him to beat you. Go ahead and sue us." He then added, "Have a doctor come to check if he is ill. If not, continue torturing him."

On March 30, 2000, Zhao and another practitioner, Wang Xiaoyu, from Handan, were tied up with ropes due to participating in group practice. 80 percent of all other practitioners were beaten. Supervisors and other monitors beat practitioners with electronic rods, rubber rods and police rods. Those in Class One of the Third Lochus who have not beaten practitioners received punishment to stay inside. Five minutes later, Dong Chunling was again tied up with a rope so tightly that the rope was broken and they changed another rope. Because of no flowing of blood, Zhao's heart beat fast and had a dry mouth. The supervisor called a doctor to measure his blood pressure and said "There is no problem since he can still speak." A policeman beside added, "He should be taken out to be executed if he is like that." Another policeman pulled up the ropes around Dong's arm and said "Watch the free puppy show." Ten minutes later, some practitioners were handcuffed and forced to stand still until 11pm. Practitioners could not go to the wash room at their own will and were only allowed to use the toilet twice a day. Practitioner Li Xin was thus incontinent.

Feng Chunming, female, 49 years old, who was detained in Shijiazhuang Labor Camp and was beaten with fist and foot due to practicing Falun Gong within the camp. Policemen punched and kicked her, and pulled her hair causing bunches of hair to fall out. Her legs were kicked for countless times and they were swollen like steamed bread with a hard bruises that did not disappear within 2-3 months. After beating, the policeman also hanged her up against an iron gate, with her foot-tips barely touching the ground for an hour and a half. During this period, a woman police by the name of Chen Rong pushed and pulled the iron gate back and forth to hit Feng against the wall, hitting Feng's elbows. This policewoman also poured dirty water onto Feng's body, and poured boiling water onto Feng's arms and said "This is to use sterilize you with high heat. "The supervisor handcuffed Feng to the window, exposing Feng to excessive sun for hours of 6 days, causing Feng's legs swollen and turning black and purple. Feng was forced to squat while being handcuffed onto the leg of the table. She was not allowed to sit down. Her hands and arms were swollen like bread and legs like log. Once she sat down, the supervisor would hit her vehemently. Feng was handcuffed 24 hours a day for 9 consecutive days without rest and sleep. Once, three other female practitioners who fell asleep were badly beaten by a policeman by the name of Liu, who kicked their anus and private parts. In the labor camps of Shijiazhuang, it is a very normal thing for practitioners to be beaten and kicked. This lasted for 2-3 months. Within this time, policemen even used the toothpaste, soap, feminine pad, hot pepper and used bathroom tissues with phlegm to stuff practitioners' mouths. The frenetic tortures also include such horrendous means like pinching female practitioner's breasts and private parts. They are even worse than beasts.

Zhao Mingming, female, 41. After she was arrested in Tiananmen Square at night on December 30, 1999, the policeman closed the curtain, pulled her hair and bumped her head violently onto the buses window. One policeman said, "Do not smash the window glass." This policeman turned to slap her face for numerous times till he was tired. Then he grabbed the chair arm and kicked her chest and head 20 times. He collapsed into the seat, gasping, cursing the practitioner with vulgar words.

Zhao was sent to Hepingli Police Station of Baoding from a Beijing agency. A policeman named Li Jing, with a police rod in hand, treaded fiercely on Zhao's feet with leather shoes. She was kicked to fall down, but then she struggled to stand up, followed with another kick, till he was too tired and lay down in a sofa without knowing that the police rod fell to the floor. After a while, when he was about to resume beating, he couldn't find his police rod. The police asked Zhao if she'd seen his tool. Zhao told him it was behind the sofa. A person came up to tell the policeman "Do you know why she does not hurt? She is shielded by supernatural power." The policeman didn't believe it and asked somebody else to beat Zhao. After a while, this policeman started to sneeze, had a headache and his hands began quivering.

On February 17, 2000, Zhao went to Beijing to appeal for Dafa and was detained in Qianmen Police Station. When she saw a practitioner fiercely beaten for preventing policeman from ripping Dafa books, she went up to stop the violence. The policeman used the square-leg-table to hit Zhao's head vehemently. Zhao's head was broken into two hollows with two forceful strikes, instantly bleeding. Three rolls of bathroom tissues were used to clean the blood. The policeman was shocked. Zhao said "I am here to appeal for Dafa. I will not blame you even you beat me to death." Zhao's head was left with two long scars.

In February 2000, a practitioner from Jiangcheng County, Baoding in Hebei Province was arrested in Beijing and sent to the local police station. Policeman asked her to take off her shoes and ordered her to stand bare foot in the snow. Asking her to stretch out her arm and hand, a dozen of people beat her. When beating her hand, they beat her one joint by one joint of her hand. They first beat the fingertips one by one and then the joints also one by one. Then they beat those bony areas i.e. finger tips, finger joints, face, wrists, elbows, ankles etc. After being beaten, she had nearly no shape of a person. Her face changed shape and turned black and purple and her hands was swollen like bread. She was then sent to the detention center for 15 days, without any food.

Zhang Qing, female, 41. When she was interrogated in a detention center in Baoding, a 7 foot police officer shouted at her fiercely, "You say." Zhang replied, "What do you want me to say?" This police officer threw his briefcase into Zhang's face, and instructed her to say cursing words on Falun Gong. He slapped her face repeatedly like drops of rain. When his arms were too tired, he began kicking Zhang's leg forcefully leaving bruises on it. After this police officer left out of fatigue, another officer came and cursed Zhang with vulgar words.

Liu Xiaolan, female, 31. She was arrested at Tiananmen Square when she was in Beijing to appeal for Dafa on January 25, 2000. A policeman in plainclothes asked her where she was from. Liu told him she was from Baoding. Policeman asked again, "Are you by yourself?" Liu answered "Yes." Policeman said "You are too bold to be tamed in Baoding. Let me teach you a lesson after boarding you into the car." When she got onto the car, the policeman punched her face with his fist. She was staggering and almost fell down. She almost fainted from the following repeated punching. She did not know where was broken and spat some blood after she got off the car. Because she refused to tell her name to the local police station, a policeman slapped her face again. Practitioners who witnessed the scene strongly felt the injustice for her. A male practitioner from Shanxi also refused to disclose his name and address. Two policemen took him upstairs and others heard loud noises from upstairs "Bang! Bang!" sounds made everyone shocked. After a while, this practitioner came down with tears on his face. Looking again at the practitioner, his tie gone and clothes ripped off and blood streaking from his head. He told us the policemen took his clothes off and beat him.

On February 27, 2000, Liu Xiaolan was detained in Baoding Police Station due to going to Beijing to appeal for Dafa. She went on a hunger strike on March 4 for 6 consecutive days without eating anything. When interrogated, she was severely beaten by the director of local police, Ding Jianping. Once she answered, she was slapped on face. With two slaps, Liu was in tears. Closely following, the police director went on frenetic beatings by slapping her face from left to right like drops of rain for 30 minutes or so. Liu's face was almost broken and badly swollen, becoming blood red. This police director pulled Liu's hair and slammed her head into the wall. Finally, he stomped heavily on Liu's leg with his big leather heel.