Recently, stories about the persecution of kind-hearted Falun Gong practitioners have been circulating on the street. They tell of practitioners who were injured, disabled, and even tortured to death. Like a heavy hammer, the stories have struck my soul and awakened my conscience. Out of indignation, I have quickly written about the horrifying experiences of a Falun Dafa practitioner and fellow villager. I disclose her horrifying experiences in a labor camp in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, to the world in order to expose the evil, and let those people with benevolence be remembered forever. Shan Liang, female, is not yet 30 years old. On September 13th last year, she went to Beijing to appeal. While she was taking a break on the sidewalk, a plain-clothed agent asked her if she practiced Falun Gong. She answered yes, and was promptly detained. That same night, she was sent to the Changping Detention Center in Beijing, where they forced to submit to a full body search. The humiliating intrusion of privacy was like being completely stripped in public. Even her hygiene articles were taken out for examination. Because she didn't provide her name and address, she had to assume the "airplane posture" (Note: bending over while one's head faces the ground and arms are stretched up behind the back as high as possible.) There were fifty to sixty Dafa practitioners that accompanied her. All those not willing to give out a name and address were punished physically. Younger practitioners were also made to sit in the "airplane posture," and the elderly ordered to stand. The punishment lasted throughout the night until daybreak. Only when the police officers changed shifts was any rest period allowed. But even then, only sitting not lying down, was allowed. Eyes had to be kept open, and the legs could not be put in lotus position. During that time, going to the restroom, drinking water, and talking were not allowed either. When the postures didn't meet the police standards, practitioners were either verbally abused as a lenient punishment or hit and kicked as severe punishment. Some practitioners were beaten until they lost consciousness and bled heavily. This disgustingly inhumane conduct is a shame to China' s law enforcement. The September night weather was cold and the chilly air enveloped people. Those Dafa practitioners who were punished by being forced to stand wore thin clothes, and tried to shake off the cold. Police didn't allow them to put on additional clothing. Practitioners punished by being forced to hold the "airplane posture" were sweating on the other hand. They became dizzy after a very short while. They were thirsty with backaches, and couldn't walk steadily. They felt stiff all over their bodies. Practitioners suffered extreme humiliation, yet there was no resistance and no violence. They simply clenched their teeth and endured the pain. They validated the righteousness of Falun Dafa with their own actions, and showed that, under any circumstance, Dafa always teaches people to be good people. On September 14th, Shan Liang was sent back to her hometown. The Public Security Agency detained her for 15 days under the charge of "disruption of social order". On September 30th, she was transferred to a different criminal detention center. It held about forty Dafa practitioners at the time. One morning, because they recited Teacher's poems, Hong Yin, in unison, the chief of detention center slapped everyone in the face. In early October, the detention center punished them with military training drills. They forced the practitioners to run around the 200 meter yard multiple times, increasing the number of laps by ten everyday, going up to fifty. Dafa practitioners are of different ages, and of different physical conditions. Some could hardly endure. Jail guards in the detention center whipped the stragglers with bamboo strips, leaving stripes of blood that soaked through clothing. Some of the practitioners were menstruating, but were still not exempted. The people behind these orders must have no human nature left. More lined-up exercises followed the running. It started from just after breakfast and lasted until break time at noon. It resumed when the jail guards came back from lunch, and lasted till they got off for dinner. Those Dafa practitioners who insisted on practicing exercises were handcuffed and shackled, or even beaten with electric batons or police clubs. The scars on their backs can be clearly seen. October 26, when the Central Committee labeled Falun Gong an evil cult, the practitioners at the detention center protested with a group hunger strike. In November, new methods for persecution were introduced. Shan Liang and thirty or so other practitioners were transferred to a hotel to be "helped and converted". Even in the hotel they were still under strict control, and there was no personal freedom. The room in which each of them stayed was said to be as high as 200 Yuan more than the average weekly salary in China. Practitioners were billed for those costs as well as for the salaries of the special personnel working at the hotel. The central committee intended to financially ruin Dafa practitioners. How extremely despicable it was! The content of the so-called "help sessions" In the morning someone would come to lecture, focusing entirely on defiling Falun Gong. In the afternoon, family members and staff from working units were ordered to come to persuade the practitioners to renounce Falun Gong. Children were forced to cry and adults were forced to yell at the practitioners! What a commotion! The situation reminds me of the Great Cultural Revolution. History is being repeated! On November 4, Shan Liang and six other Dafa practitioners were sentenced to three years of forced-labor education because of their "stubborn refusal to be converted." They were immediately sent back to the detention center where they were forced to work overtime. They were even monitored when going to the restroom. No talking was allowed among practitioners, not even to say hello. Absolutely no practicing of exercises or learning of Fa was allowed. As soon as someone started to practice, she would be severely beaten. Violence against Dafa practitioners could happen anytime anywhere. In March of this year, the practitioners asked to have an 8-hour working day and a legal environment where they could practice the exercises. They received no answer; so they went on hunger strike. The strike earned them the punishment of standing along the wall for a long time. Many times practitioners were forced to stand for over 10 hours straight. Their legs became swollen from standing for so long. On October 28, the situation grew worse. Aside from mealtime, they were lined up for the entire day. Other than having meals, practitioners were either to be standing by wall or lined up for training. There was no break until the jail guards went to sleep. Shan Liang was often slapped in the face because of reciting Teacher's articles. She was often beaten because of her refusal to work. Each time she would be struck over twenty times with a rubber club. Her entire buttocks were swollen an blackened from the bruises. Her pants wouldn't even fit anymore. Every step she took she had to overcome heart arrhythmia, shortness of breath, nausea, and ringing in her ears. She also experienced memory loss. Her back and upper legs were all swollen. During this period of time, Dafa practitioners were beaten every day. Those who tied them up pulled the ropes so hard that the ropes broke. The ropes cut into their bodies leaving deep and long scars. Some were beaten with electric batons. Their miserable screams while they were being tortured could be heard every now and then. How could this be the labor camp run by the people's government? It is a living hell controlled by demons. It is too horrible! Jiang Zemin and his accomplices who were so anxious about suppressing Falun Gong have damaged the image of the country and the Party. Our good cadres, don't you know these things? Why don't you intervene? Is there any law? On April 28, Dafa practitioners, not fearing death, started a group hunger strike and removed their cell uniforms outfits used to defame and humiliate Dafa practitioners. I respect their fearless integrity. They are truly great people! On June 9th, Shan Liang was transferred to the Fifth Brigade. Conditions there were even worse. Rules forbidding this and that were as strict as Changping Detention Center in Beijing. There was no personal freedom at all. Dafa practitioners in different cells were not even allowed to look at each other. A few jail guards were extremely cruel when beating people. As soon as they saw practitioners practicing the exercises, they would pull their hair, slap, twist, kick, stomp on them, and even squeeze their throats until their eyes lost focus from lack of oxygen. Some jail guards threw people on the ground and dragged them back to a room with closed doors and windows. Several of them would ceaselessly beat one Dafa practitioner in unison while yelling obscene curses. If practitioners told them that were doing harm to themselves, and pleaded with them how it is illegal to beat people, they would beat even harder, and say, "I am willing to accumulate karma, what are you going to do about it?!" Some jail guards were unbelievably cruel and obscene. They focused on twisting, and grabbing female practitioners' breasts and genitalia. They stuffed cleaning rags into people's mouths, and threatened to use soiled toilet paper. Reporting these atrocities to the police chief yielded no results because he gave the orders himself! After that, practitioners were beaten by other prisoners who actec as guards, the real guards handcuffed practitioners to iron gates, or radiator pipes, forcing them to stand on tiptoe, or to iron window bars, forcing them to face the sun. Practitioners have been handcuffed for at least ten hours at a time, sometimes for over twenty-four hours. Their legs became very swollen. Some of the prisoners guarding Falun Gong practitioners are given handcuffs to be used at will. At their pleasure, the prisoner guards will lock up practitioners in any manner and release them after any amount of time. The prisoners have become the accomplices of the wardens . I can't help but ask the Cadres, who insist they are serving the people whole-heartedly, "Is this how you love the people who support you?" It is said there are 100 million people who practice Falun Gong. Are all these 100 million people your enemies? What else have they done other than practice exercises and read books? How could their presenting the unjust conditions of law enforcement departments to the Central Committee be taken as anti-Party, anti-government or anti-socialism? Did they take up arms against you? Did they try to undermine you? It is a good thing when the general public presents their opinions to the government; such an act should be encouraged, as the public should be understood. Without the people's voice, who would know if the leadership takes our nation down an evil path. Our Party: You shouldn't forget where you came from! Do remember that the five-star-red-flag was dyed in the blood of ordinary people. At present, a handful of renegades are using the power granted to them, by the people, to severely mistreat innocent Falun Gong practitioners who dare to tell the truth about such hatred. How can these "public figures" bear this in good conscience? It is time for us to re-think this situation. Continuing on like this is extremely dangerous. The heavens will grow angry and the people will protest! Kind-hearted and upright Falun Dafa practitioners, I salute you! Your behavior, and the character reflected in yourselves, is great and selfless. I believe all kind-hearted people will be resolutely on your side, and support you silently as well as encourage you. We also believe that the days are coming soon when the dark clouds have dispersed and the sun shines brightly! Address of the Fourth Large Group of Shijiazhuan Women's Labor Camp: 8 South Gaoji Dajie Street, City of Shijiazhuan, Hebei Province Contract phone: 0311-7793644 Zip Code: 050061 An ordinary person September 25, 2000