(Clearwisdom.net) During the Beijing Olympics in July and August of 2008, Masanjia Forced Labor Camp in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, escalated the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Guards tortured steadfast practitioners with electric batons, placed them on the "Stretching Bed," forced them to stand in the hot sun for long periods of time, slapped their faces, and beat them.

At Masanjia, guards used the brutal "Stretching Bed" on practitioners. This method of torture involves placing a practitioner in the middle of two beds with his or her arms and legs tied to the beds. The beds are then pulled apart. Practitioners have screamed out in unbearable pain from this torture. One guard said, "This torture will break the tendons and then the person cannot move, but the injuries cannot be seen on the surface of the body."

On June 29, practitioners Ms. Teng Zhijuan, Ms. Guan Liying, Ms. Dong Shengna, and Ms. Zhang Shuxia from Donggang City were hung up and their bodies were stretched by guards Cui Hong, Huang Haiyan, Zhang Jun, and Zhang Zuohui. The practitioners' hands became so swollen that they were unable to move them for several days. The guards also slapped the practitioners in the face.

In July 2008, guard Cui Hong left Ms. Zhang Xiuying from Xiuyan County handcuffed for three days and nights. She also shocked Ms. Zhang with electric batons and said, "I have not used the electric batons for a while. Let me have some fun." She shocked Ms. Zhang's eyes until they were bruised and black.

Practitioner Ms. Liu Guifang from Dandong City was also shocked with electric batons. Her face was slapped so severely that it became swollen and disfigured. Ms. Wang Xiaoyun was forced to stand in the hot sun for long periods of time and she was unable to move her legs from being beaten. She could not straighten her back or go to the cafeteria at mealtime.

The food in the labor camp was extremely bad. The bread given to the practitioners was moldy and smelled bad, and there were mouse droppings in the rice. Whenever upper level authorities came to do an inspection, the labor camp personnel pretended that everything was fine. Practitioners were forced to work during the day and clean the cells in the evening. All personal belongings were stored in the room with the toilets.

For those practitioners who remained firm in their faith, family visits were not allowed. Some of the practitioners' families were repeatedly denied visitation privileges.

Ms. Sheng Lianying and Ms. Zhou Huimin are currently being additionally persecuted. Ms. Zhou finished her prison term on July 27 and was due to be released, but her sentence was illegally extended and she is still being held. On July 28, Ms. Wu Juan from Fengcheng City finished her term, but she is also still detained.

September 18, 2008