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The Mental and Physical Torture of Falun Dafa Practitioners by Guards at Beijing's Tuanhe Forced Labor Camp

Oct. 30, 2004

(Clearwisdom.net) A recently released practitioner has revealed many facts about the torture of practitioners by the guards at the Tuanhe Forced Labor Camp in Beijing.

The Third Division of the Tuanhe Labor Camp used a technique called "sitting facing the wall" to physically and mentally torture practitioners. "Sitting facing the wall" requires practitioners to sit absolutely straight with their faces towards the wall, their knees against the wall, and their eyes only a few inches away from the wall. They must not move or close their eyes or glance sideways. Inmates monitor the practitioners.

Just because practitioner Gao Changze shouted, "Falun Dafa is good" when out for exercise in July 2004, the authorities extended his term by three months on September 8. He is now in the Fifth Class of the Third Division. He is forced to sit daily with his face to the wall, monitored by two inmates.

Practitioner Jia Shouxin was punished by being made to sit with his face to the wall because he refused to give up his belief. Two inmates monitored him.

Because practitioner Zhang Lixin refused to give up his belief, the camp authorities gave him a warning on September 8, 2004, telling him he had violated the regulations. They forced him to sit with his face to the wall in the hallway and cancelled his family's visits.

"Sitting facing the wall" is a physical punishment and mental torment for practitioners. It is a particularly insidious and mentally cruel torment. Any slight deviation from any of the stipulations could invoke sarcasm or abuse from inmates or collaborators (former practitioners who have gone astray due to brainwashing and torture). These practitioners might even get beaten up or kicked.

Practitioners who were frequently subjected to this kind of persecution between 2002 and 2003 include Liu Wei, Zhao Hui, Li Qiaosong, Qian Shiguan, Li Wei, Liu Quanwang, Sun Zhigang, Liu Jiankai, Wang Hongli and others.

Inmates Di Xinwen, Wei Hongtao, Yin Guozhe and others are the main forces behind this kind of gross abuse. The guards incited them to persecute the practitioners.

Information regarding the Concentrated Training Team

Before March 2, 2004, the practitioners were treated even more cruelly inside the labor camp. Each cell held only one practitioner. The doors and windows were covered with newspaper to isolate them from the outside world. Practitioners were tied onto a bed and monitored by inmates. No contact or talk was permitted between inmates in the same cell to avoid disclosure of who was held in which cell. Messages were strictly forbidden. Beatings, verbal abuse and electric shock happened every now and then. No drinking water was provided, and toilet times were limited. Only one piece of cornbread was allowed per meal. The bread was purposely put outdoors in the winter so it would freeze before being served for dinner. In other seasons, the cornbread was purposely put in the microwave until it turned hard and burned. No water was given at meals. Those practitioners on a hunger strike were force-fed through an inserted tube.

During the 2004 Spring Festival, guard Zhao Jiang and others killed practitioner Peng Guangjun. Many people in the labor camp knew about this incident. After March 2, 2004, there were many changes: the Concentrated Training Team was reorganized into an independent team. From team leader to inmates, most people were replaced; rules forbid the use of electric batons to punish the detainees; the newspaper was removed from the windows and doors; cornbread is no longer part of the meal. Everything was restored to "normal." By July 23, practitioners could even go downstairs, taking turns, to have some outdoor activities, and the director of the labor camp often led people to inspect the camp conditions.

On July 23, 2004, the Concentrated Training Team was disbanded and changed to the Eighth Division. Those practitioners who were supposed to be put in Concentrated Training were transferred to the Concentrated Training Team in the Dispatch Division for Forced Labor in Beijing. There, all the confinement cells are small. The persecution was even more brutal.

Practitioners in the Tuanhe Labor Camp who were continuously persecuted from March 2, 2004, to July 23, 2004, include Wen Jizhong, Zhang Jiuhai, Tian Enze, Li Hailin, Bai Shaohua and others.

Wen Jizhong, who has been imprisoned for a long time, suffered a lot.

Zhang Jiuhai and Tian Enze were put into the Concentrated Training Team for refusing to write the four statements guaranteeing to give up Falun Gong. The camp authorities said, "They are normal transfers."

Zhao Jiang and others guards didn't allow practitioner Li Hailing to sleep and kept him up until 2:00 a.m. for refusing to yield. When he refused to endure further persecution in the office, Zhao hit his face and knocked out two of his teeth. He was given a "warning punishment" after being brutally beaten. Later he was sent to the Concentrated Training Team for one month. When they sent him over, the labor camp head Li Jing, Ni Zhenxiong and others followed.

Bai Shaohua refused to yield. The guards then came up with a malicious idea: they told him to wait outside the main door. But if anyone passes through that main door, he is considered to be trying to escape. As soon as Bai Shaohua went through the door, a gang of guards jumped out, pushed him down, and beat him with their fists and kicked him. He was punished as an escapee, put into concentrated training for one month, and transferred to the Concentrated Training Team.

On July 23, 2004, Wen Jizhong and Bao Shaohua were transferred to the First Division. Tian Enze and Li Hailin were transferred back to the Third Division.

Li Hailin, Tian Enze and Zhang Jiuhai's terms were over, and they were allowed to return home. Wen Jizhong and Bai Shaohua are still suffering in the First Division. Bai's term is up in October.

Li Hailin has been beaten during his incarceration in the Concentrated Training Team. The guards have also ordered him to sit still and not close his eyes, limited his toilet visits, restricted his drinking water and baths, forbid phone calls to his family, and monitored him all the time.

In the Concentrated Training Team, the guards were very cruel. They controlled the use of the toilet and amounts of drinking water for inmates and former practitioners. They weren't allowed to talk to each other and were threatened with no reduction of their terms if they didn't "reform" Falun Gong practitioners. They were encouraged to vent their anger at "Falun Gong." In the summer, no fans are allowed in the rooms. Except for going to the toilet, eating, drinking and washing all take place in the same room. The inmates were encouraged to "surround Falun Gong like a wall." The authorities hoped that, by exerting covert pressure on the practitioners, they would achieve their goal of making them renounce their belief. They often used deception to dupe and swindle.