(Clearwisdom.net) Gongjiawan Brainwashing Center in Lanzhou City is known to the outside world as "Lanzhou City Law Education School." Since November 2001, this school has been turned into a dedicated detention center to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. The Gansu Province Political and Legal Committee and "610 Office," and The Lanzhou City Political and Legal Committee and "610 Office" carried out a systematic persecution based on a list of Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong practitioners detained here come from four different sources: arrested at their workplace or home, sent from forced labor camps after serving their sentences, transferred from other detention centers, arrested in other provinces.

People being held here are given no terms for their detention. No paper work is filed. No one is released until he/she gives in to the pressure and signs the "Three-Statements" [to denounce Falun Gong]. Brainwashing director Shan Yongsheng claimed that no one can walk out without agreeing to stop practicing Falun Gong. According to Shan, if the brainwashing class fails to reform someone, the person will be sent to a forced labor camp. If forced labor fails, then they are sent back to the brainwashing class again. This cycle goes on until everyone is "reformed." The majority of the people detained here have been held for more than three months. Some have been held for more than six months, and some for over a year. As of September 2003, the following practitioners were still in detention:

Ms. Ren Shuzhen, in her 60's, from Yongdeng County, was sent to the brainwashing class in June 2002.

Ms. Zhang Guiying, over 55, from Lanzhou City, has been detained since May 2002.

Mr. Yao Tianrong, about 40 years old, from Lanzhou: in 2001, Mr. Yao was arrested and sent to Gaolanshan Brainwashing Class in Chengguan District, Lanzhou City. Later in January 2003, he was transferred to Gongjiawan Brainwashing Class.

Mr. Zhang Zhenming has been detained here since November 2002.

Authorities routinely force practitioners to watch video presentations slandering Falun Gong. They threaten practitioners with being sent to forced labor camps and political persecution. They also use family members and all kinds of hypocritical tricks to mislead practitioners. In late July 2003, Shan Yongsheng and his staff put Zhang Zhenming and several other practitioners into a dark cell and deprived them of sleep.

If a practitioner's employer is profitable, the company and the individual practitioner are charged 4000 Yuan per person each month. The heavy fine is intended to burden practitioners and their employers. The rest of the cost comes from the government budget. It is a complete waste of taxpayers' money.

The above mentioned is only a small part of the situation. The brainwashing class is totally against the law, as it is designed to deny practitioners' freedom indefinitely.