(Clearwisdom.net) [Note: The following is a shortened version of a longer and more detailed article that appeared on the minghui.ca website (Chinese version of Clearwisdom.net).]

Ms. Zhang Guilian worked in the Machine Shop at the Xibaipo Steel Factory in Pingshan County, Hebei Province. She was fired in November 2001. Qi Guang, in his 40s, the town Party secretary, laid off Ms. Zhang's son, who was working at the Donghuishe Town government at the time. Her husband, who worked for the town government, was also laid off by Qi Guang. She left home to avoid further persecution.

Zhang Guilian went to Beijing to appeal in October 2001. In January 2002, Politics and Security Section head Feng Qinfang of the Pingshan County Police Department and three other officials broke into her home and ransacked it. The police took her to the third floor of the police department and handcuffed her behind her back to a chair. She went on a hunger strike to protest the illegal detention. Police officers Fang, Xiao Suilong and Hu Yuetao tortured her and did not let her sleep for three days and nights. Then they took her to a detention center where she was held for more than two months. From there they took her to a brainwashing center at a magnesium factory. Official Hou Cunli pressured her on a daily basis in an attempt to "reform" her. She had to pay her own living expenses in addition to having 2,000 yuan extorted from her.

She left the brainwashing center by jumping over a wall and went away to avoid further persecution. She was arrested again six months later. Officials from the Pingshan County Police Department took her back to Pingshan Town to try to brainwash her. She refused to cooperate. After nearly a month of detention the officials took her to a forced labor camp. 610 Office heads Wang Gengting and Hou Cunli withheld 2,000 yuan of her husband's salary without any explanation or following any legal procedures. They took her to Division 5 of Shijiazhuang Forced Labor Camp.

The guards and collaborators brutally tortured Ms. Zhang for more than three weeks and would not let her sleep. She still refused to cooperate. She was released unconditionally after two months of detention at the labor camp.