(Clearwisdom.net) In January 2002, the police in Shibalihe Labor Camp tortured Falun Gong practitioners with "tying the ropes." The police tie up the practitioner with a thin rope, circle the rope around her neck, and tie her hands behind her back. Then the police would use all the force they could muster to tighten the rope. The rope becomes tighter and tighter around the body of the practitioner, and makes it more and more difficult for her to breathe. In April and May, the camp suddenly extended sentences for some practitioners, citing that they did not obey the camp's rules. In fact, this is revenge against the practitioners who went on a hunger strike earlier in order to protest the persecution. These practitioners included Ding Xiangqin, Xu Yunpo, Wang Hongxia, Wang Xiaodong, Su E, Xu Bishan, Gao Yanan, Wei Guirong, and Zhou Cuihong.

In March 2002, the police tortured Han Fulan for three days and nights with "tying the ropes" for practicing Falun Gong exercises. She was unconscious when she was carried back to her cell and could not take care of herself. She had bruises and two-centimeter-deep wounds in her shoulders that were caused by the rope. The cuts had swelled and abscessed, and did not start to heal even after two months. In October, she wanted to practice the exercises again. The police took her into a washroom, and began to punch and kick her. Police officer Wang Yulin grabbed her hair and threw her head against the wall. Wang Nan, the vice head of the squad, and Hu Zhaoxia, the head of the squad, also threatened to turn Han Fulan over to the male guards for further torture.

Recently, the camp gave a "test", where they give all practitioners a prepared answer sheet that slandered Dafa. Many practitioners resisted by either refusing to take it or writing statements that validated Dafa on the test papers. Jia Meili, the head of the third squad, said, "This is a political test and everyone has to participate. Those who refuse to take the test or do not fill in the standard answers will be sternly punished. Wang Hongxia's sentence was due to expire on October 26, but it was extended for six months because she refused to take the test. Now we are giving you another chance. If you refuse to take it, your sentences will be extended just like Wang Hongxia's." Wang Hongxia was illegally sentenced to one year, and her sentence had already been extended for four months to October 26. She refused the test in mid October and was informed of the additional six-month sentence extension on October 24. Usually, any sentence extension needs to be first approved by higher authorities, and the process should take a month or longer. Why did her extension come back so quickly? An extension as heavy as 6 months has never been imposed on non-practitioner prisoners at this labor camp. Some people pointed out, "According to the rules, an extension should not surpass half of the sentence." Hu Zhaoxia said, "There is no such rule. Rules governing extensions change along with the overriding policies." This was the first time in the labor camp that someone has had her sentence extended just for not taking a test. There are many practitioners in the third squad due for release. Many refused to take the test and are facing sentence extensions also.

Wang Hongxia questioned Zhou Xiaohong, the head of her squad, as to why her sentence was extended for refusing to take a test. Zhou said that it wasn't just the issue of taking the test. When a practitioner refuses to give up Dafa, she will be deducted 30 points for each day that she remains steadfast. For every 100 deducted points, she will receive a one-day sentence extension. Wang talked with Zhou several times and did not get any results. Wang started to protest by going on a hunger strike and refusing the prison calisthenics. One day in October, Hu Zhaoxia asked Wang Hongxia to go for a talk and brought her to the door of the workshop. Several male guards waiting outside the door tried to take her away. She immediately ran back inside the workshop, where there were more practitioners. Four male guards rushed towards her. One of them grabbed her arm and pushed her to the ground. Other practitioners dragged her back and protected her. Jia Meili threatened that they would strictly punish those who resisted their persecution.

Those practitioners who are due for release must be picked up by their local "610 offices" [a bureau specifically created to persecute Falun Gong. It has absolute power over each level of administration in the Party, as well as over the political and judiciary branches]. Otherwise the labor camp would not release them. The police told the practitioners, "This is a rule made by higher authorities since you Falun Gong are special."

In the middle of October, practitioners Zhou Hongying, Chang Xirong, and Wang Haibo suddenly became missing, and the police refused to reveal their whereabouts.

Recently, the third squad used new means to abuse practitioners. They isolated one or two practitioners in an empty room for long periods of time. The practitioners were completely cut off from the outside world as long as they persisted in practicing Falun Gong.

In March 2001, practitioner Zheng Hongxia from Hebi City was sent to a brainwashing center from her workplace, only because she said that Falun Dafa was good and refused to give up practicing. She was then sentenced to one year in a forced labor camp. In March 2002 when she was due for release, the personnel from her work unit, Tangheji Police Station, and Hebi City "610 Office" picked her up and brought her to the local police station. They asked her again whether she would practice Falun Gong. She answered, "Yes," and was immediately detained. They sentenced her again to three years in the forced labor camp. When she asked for legal consultation, she was told that no lawyer would dare to defend a Falun Gong practitioner regardless of the payment, and court documents would be valid with or without her signature. Zheng Hongxia was sent to the forced labor camp directly from the brainwashing center.

After being released from the forced labor camp in March 2002, practitioner Zhao Xilian from Zhengzhou City was monitored 24 hours a day. Her work unit, the Henan Agricultural University, arranged for four or five people to watch and follow her. In the middle of August 2002, the local police forced her into a police car and brought her to Hezhuang Detention Center. She was then sentenced to one year in a forced labor camp. On her way to the camp, a policeman said, "Sorry, we did not want to do this, but these are the orders from higher authorities."

Practitioner Liu Minxian from Tongbai County was detained and sent to the brainwashing centers several times. She steadfastly refused to give up her belief. In December 2001, the county declared that she was "difficult to transform" and arrested her and her daughter from their home. They sent her daughter to the labor camp. Since she was 67 years old and did not qualify for the labor camp, they continued to hold her at the detention center and refused to release her.

The above situations are quite commonplace. Many other practitioners have been forced to leave their homes to avoid the persecution.