Exposing the Atrocities of Masanjia Labor Camp (Part I)

(Clearwisdom.net)

I am a female Falun Gong practitioner, and my physical and mental health has tremendously improved since I began my cultivation practice. After the illegal suppression on Falun Gong on July 22, 1999, I went alone to Beijing to file a complaint in January 2000. I did not expect to be arrested when I simply asked a police officer for the address of the appeal office. I was then taken to a police station in Beijing and then sent back to the police substation of my hometown.

During my six-month detention at the Zhuanghe Detention Center, I refused to write any statement of guarantees [renouncing Falun Gong]. I had been placed indefinitely under administrative detention. My detention was extended every fifteen days, and each extension was for half a month. After the Chinese lunar New Year's Day (and it was the 11^th day in the lunar calendar), the guards ordered us to go outside. There were six Falun Gong practitioners to begin with (five females and one male). We were ordered to remove our thick sweaters, and each of us were left wearing a thin thermal shirt. In the corridor, the guards forced each of us to pick up and put on a pair of dirty and stiffened male sandals that did not even fit. As soon as we had put on the sandals, the guards rushed us to the exercise and relief yard on the roof of the building. It was -20 ^oC (-4 ^oF) that day. The cold wind blew on my face like a knife carving into my bones. The guards said that we were to perform a bootcamp style military drills. We observed that the armed police had formed a line, and all of them were wearing thick cotton military uniforms and thick cotton hats. They all had electric batons in their hands. These armed police ordered us to stand in the military posture with both legs straightened out. This started at 8:00 a.m. and was to last until one practitioner agreed to write statements of guarantees. Otherwise, all of us had to remain outdoors while our bodies suffered from the cold temperature. We were not allowed to have lunch at noon. Later, a few more Falun Gong practitioners were taken over to join us, and there were sixteen of us in all. An elderly woman almost passed out. My body suffered from the cold temperature. I even felt that my brain was numb. My lips turned purplish black. I heard the "higher authorities" issue orders that we had to remain in this harsh condition until statements of guarantees were written. However, the team leader observed that our faces turned purple and that several of us were about to pass out. He then ordered us to return to our cells. It was already 5:00 p.m. Our bodies were frozen to the extent that it was very difficult to walk, and our legs were stiff. We had to hold onto the handrails as we took tiny steps in walking up and down the stairs.

The next morning, we were taken to another open territory outside. The ground was covered with thick ice. We were ordered to do push-ups on the ice. The ice was yellowish, dirty and had a bad smell. Our hands were in so much pain when they were pressed on the ice. Later, several practitioners had blisters on their palms due to the icy ground. We were then told to return to the exercise and relief area. We were not allowed to walk there. Instead, we had to jump while crouching down, with both hands held behind our head. When we arrived at the exercise and relief area, all of us (regardless of age and gender) were ordered to squat half way down. Anyone who failed to remain in this position was beaten with electric batons. The sound of the impact of the batons (as they struck practitioners) was intermingled with the sounds of woeful moans. The team leader and guards stood nearby and merrily observed this horrific scene. The armed police officers scoffed at us with unpleasant jeers. These officers and their director would kick anyone who did not squat in the proper position. A female practitioner fell several times as a result of being kicked repeatedly. The director called me to a different exercise and relief area. He threatened that if I refused to write statement of guarantees, he would throw all of us into male prisoner's cells. Since I did not comply, he then dragged my hair and kicked me hard. While I was being tortured, a male practitioner was also being viciously beaten by several armed police officers. His arms were pulled backwards into the iron rails, and several electric batons shocked his his face, on his neck, and between his legs. Blood gushed down from his head. Some armed police whipped practitioners with a "tooth stick" (which would cause painful injury but without breaking one's bones). Several "tooth sticks" were broken, and the painful cries of male practitioners were heard constantly.

Jiang Zemin and his supporters had the wishful thinking of forcing Falun Dafa practitioners to give up their belief through torture methods. However, their brutal acts could not change our firm belief at all! Later, these villains restricted us to cells for forced labor. Each person had a preset workload that had to be completed. One was not allowed to sleep if he or she did not complete the allocated workload. There were times when we had to work late into the night until our fingers were covered with blisters. In the summer, the heat was suffocating. Twenty and even thirty people were inside one cell. There were not enough beds, and people slept all over the ground. The cell was hot, dirty, and smelled bad. The room was full of flies. Insects and mud were even in the soup.

Gradually, groups of Falun Gong practitioners were followed by another as they were brought into the detention center. On July 23, 2000, we heard the guards whipping someone in the corridor. The guards were also yelling while whipping. Those nearby were shocked by the sound of each whip. Several of our female practitioners shouted from within the window, "Why are you beating him? We are all innocent." Our cries and pleas were completely ignored by the guards. Later, we heard the guards say: "You can go ahead and beat him hard if he refuses to write statement of guarantees." The guards were telling the inmates to beat the practitioner. Early in the morning of July 24, we were awoken by loud shouting of, "A Falun Gong practitioner has been beaten to death!" We were shocked by the news. We asked who the practitioner was. It turned out that the victim was exactly the practitioner who was viciously beaten by the guards the day before. His name was Shao Shisheng. (His case was reported on Clearwisdom.net before) According to practitioners who knew about this incident, police officers Gao Haitao and Jiang Tangfa tortured Shao Shisheng during the entire afternoon and throughout the night on the 23^rd. We interrogated the guards with such questions as why they would beat someone to death for no reason and how the law could allow the guards to commit such an atrocity. The guards refused to acknowledge what they did in a failed attempt to deny. They were not aware that the heavenly principles are clearly known to all. The vicious deeds of these guards had long been recorded in the pillar of shame in history.

(To be continued)