(Clearwisdom.net) It was not until I read a report on the Minghui website about the Banqiao Women's Forced Labor Camp in Tianjin that I learned a female Falun Gong practitioner named Zhang Jun has been imprisoned there again for more than two years. The prison guards often verbally abused her and encouraged inmates to beat and even bite her. The long-term psychological and physical abuse has taken a heavy toll on Ms. Zhang's mental health.
In 2001, Ms. Zhang Jun was "illegally imprisoned" for over a year in the No.1 group of the No.1 team at Banqiao Women's Forced Labor Camp in Tianjin. Because she refused to renounce her spiritual belief in Falun Gong, she was transferred to the No. 5 team, where she continued to be subjected to torture. Ms. Zhang Jun is in her 30's and used to work in a state-run research institute in Tianjin. She is a kindhearted, bright individual.
At the forced brainwashing sessions, she was often made to stand still all night because she refused to renounce her belief in Falun Gong. Moreover, she was forbidden to talk. The prison guards ordered those practitioners that had given in to the torture and renounced Falun Gong to spread rumors that Ms. Zhang was mentally deranged as a result of practicing Falun Gong. They did this for the purpose of deceiving practitioners that came in to the camp later.
In the face of humiliation and slander, Ms. Zhang maintained her steadfast faith in Falun Gong. Finally, the prison guards and disciplinary staff were at their wit's end. They put her in a unit with common criminals in order to prevent her from interacting with other Falun Gong practitioners. It is the interest of the prison guards to make Falun Gong practitioners renounce their belief because each will receive a large bonus for each practitioner that renounces Falun Gong. The number of practitioners who give up Falun Gong is also a criterion for the prison guards' job performance.
Ms. Zhang was locked in the same cell with drug addicts, prostitutes, and thieves. Each time a new shipment of beans arrived, she was ordered to move those bags to the workroom. Each sack of beans weighs around 110 to 132 lbs. Each time she was forced to move several dozen bean sacks. In fact, she was called to perform every kind of heavy work. She was made to do work that even a robust man finds difficult. When she was not made to work on the bean bags, the prison guards made her perform other kinds of slave labor, such as making cushions or paper boxes. She was often forced to stay up for slave labor. If she even smiled at fellow practitioners or exchanged looks on her way to the workroom, she would be punished with prolonged standing or cursed at. The prison guards forbade Ms. Zhang from talking with other people and from meeting with her family. When she ran out of toilet paper or other necessities, the prison guards forbade others from giving or sharing any with her. The inmates said that the prison guards and disciplinary staff would replace them or extend their prison terms if they refuse to obey the orders.
When there was no work to do, Ms. Zhang was forced to sit on a small stool for the entire day and forced to listen to articles defaming Falun Gong being read. Each time they read such an article to Ms. Zhang, they made her put her thoughts in writing. Ms. Zhang Jun was not afraid to speak her mind in writing and clarify the truth that way. In her writing, she discussed her personal experiences of practicing Falun Gong and the benefits Falun Gong has brought to China, the Chinese society, and herself. On one hand, her articles were very convincing, and even the guards agreed with them. On the other hand, the guards do not want to miss their bonus or get a poor job performance review, so they continue to subject Ms. Zhang to persecution.
The following is the latest information about another four Falun Gong practitioners in Tianjin. In mid-September 2006, these practitioners in Tianjin City were illegally sentenced to two years in Banqiao Women's Forced Labor Camp: Ms. Zhang Enjian, Ms. Zhang Liying, Ms. Li Lanmin and Ms. Wang Lanrong.
In early 2001, Ms. Wang Lanrong, Ms. Zhang Enjian, and Ms. Zhang Liying were sentenced to two years, and two years and 18 months in the No.1 group of Banqiao Women's Forced Labor Camp, respectively. Though these women are in their 50's, each day they were forced to perform slave labor for over 10 hours, working on removing beans from beanstalks, making paper boxes, etc. They were often forced to stay up all night working to make money for the camp. Ms. Zhang Enjian was even forced to move sacks that each weigh over 100 lbs. to and from trucks. Ms. Zhang Enjian's husband passed away many years ago. All she and her daughter have are each other. Her daughter has just given birth to a baby, but she cannot be with her or look after her grandchild.