(Clearwisdom.net) It is impossible to arrive at an accurate count of the number of Falun Gong practitioners that have been unlawfully imprisoned at the Tumuji Forced Labor Camp. As of this year, 2008, the women's labor team still incarcerates nine Falun Gong practitioners.
The camp employs a system to abuse and exploit the practitioners. The officials first subject practitioners to a physical examination, and only accept those who can perform slave labor. The second step is to send the practitioners to a brainwashing center. Each practitioner would be put in a room. A group of guards would take turns to subject the person to forcible brainwashing. They would compel the practitioner to view their fabricated version of the "Tiananmen Square self-immolation" VCD. Some practitioners had to endure more than a month of brainwashing, making them become muddleheaded. At this time the Communist regime personnel would order them to write the so-called guarantee statement. If one refused to "reform", torture would begin, such as beatings, or torture with electric batons.
Practitioner Baosiqin Gaowa was imprisoned there two times and was put in the brainwashing center three times. The first time, she was put into the brainwashing center for more than 40 days. A man named Guan beat her so severely that she suffered many serious injuries. A one-inch long scar below her mouth is still visible now. The second time she was again put into the brainwashing center for more than 40 days. The third time, she was put in the center for more than three days. She was forbidden to sleep for two days straight and was forced to stand the whole time. As a result, her feet became severely swollen. A female guard named Yin Guiyuan beat practitioner Ma Xiuping mercilessly. Guard Na Renhua beat practitioner Shi Junlan mercilessly. The reason for the gross abuse - neither practitioner wanted to eat lunch. The guards said the two were trying to start a hunger strike and thus dragged them upstairs and beat them.
Elderly practitioner Wan Xiuying developed high blood pressure from the gross mistreatment and lost control of her right leg. However, the officials didn't release her. The guards frequently cursed people. Many times their wrong behavior was stopped by practitioners' good intentions. Oftentimes, when a practitioner's family member arrived to visit, the officials would find some excuse to prevent a meeting with their loved ones.
Actual criminal prisoners at Tumuji Forced Labor Camp make up only 1% of the inmates. The majority are people who are being persecuted for their belief or people who tried to appeal to the higher authorities against an injustice.
