(Clearwisdom.net) Force feeding is being used in Chinese prisons to persecute and torture Falun Gong practitioners, although prison officials often claim it is done for humanitarian reasons. The persecutors alternate between two different methods of force feeding. The torture severely damages the body and often leads to death.

1. Direct force feeding through the mouth: The guards tie the legs and arms of a practitioner tightly to a bed and then press down on the person's torso and head. They then firmly pinch the nose of the practitioner so that he or she cannot breathe. They then pry open the mouth with a sharp metal tool. During the process, the mouths of some practitioners are torn up. At times, teeth fall out and the mouth is full of blood and cut up flesh. At this point,the guard pour substances into the mouth of the practitioner.

2. Force feeding using a nasogastric tube: The guards tie the legs and arms of a practitioner tightly to a bed and then press down on the person's torso and head. In order to make the process as torturous as possible, they purposefully use the thickest nasogastric tubes made, and often the tubes are dirty from previous force feedings.

The nasogastric tube is forced through the nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx and esophagus. Inserting the tube is a technique that is hard to master. The practice is very risky because it is easy to accidentally or purposefully insert the tube into the trachea, which can cause death by asphyxiation or severely damage the lungs.

They also repeatedly use the tubes without applying oil or powder to lubricate the entry. They insert the tube into one nostril, pull it out, and then insert it again through the other nostril. They intentionally pull on the tube to induce severe pain. The nasal cavity, esophagus and stomach of the practitioner are damaged, which results in severe bleeding, vomiting and severe coughing. After force feedings, very often the bed in which the torture took place is full of blood stains. The scene is too gory to be seen.

3. Suffocation: In some cases in which the mouth is pried open and the nostrils are pinched tight, a large quantity of food is poured into the mouth of the practitioner. The guards keep the nose closed for a long time, which causes severe pain and in some cases death.

4. Force feeding can easily force fluid into the trachea, which damages the lungs and can lead to life-threatening infections.

5. The substances forced through the feeding are often poisonous or caustic, such as extremely salty fluid, hot pepper water and drugs that damage the nervous system.

6. In order to force feed practitioners for extended periods, practitioners are tied to beds and the nasogastric tubes are kept in. The arms and legs of the practitioners atrophy and nerve damage sets in. The practitioners then become paralyzed. Malnutrition can easily cause lung failure and lung infections that can cause death. This is a major cause of death among paralyzed patients. The prison often tortures healthy practitioners until they are comatose by tying them to beds, not even allowing them to turn once, force feeding them with tubes and even inserting catheters into them.

7. Long-term force feeding instead of eating can easily cause a potentially lethal electrolyte disorder.

The following people are just a few of the Falun Gong practitioners who have been killed by force feeding:

Mr. Gao Xianmin, 41, was a professor at the Jinan University of Guangzhou City. In January 2000, he was killed by being force fed highly concentrated salt water by police in the Guangzhou City Tianhe Region Detention Center. His family members were informed about his death on January 18, 2000.

Mr. Liu Xuguo, 29, was an engineer at the Zoucheng City Fertilizer Plant of Shandong Province. On February 10, 2000, he was killed when a force-feeding tube was inserted into his trachea, causing fatal damage.

Ms. Mei Yulan, 44, was a practitioner from Beijing. On May 23, 2000, she was killed after being force fed concentrated salt water mixed with soy milk.

Ms. Zhao Dongmei, 28, was from Linfen City, Shanxi Province. On December 27, 2000, she was killed by force feeding at the Linfen City Detention Center when substances were forced into her trachea.

Sun Guilan, 46, was from Baoji City, Shanxi Province. On October 9, 2001, she was killed by force feeding conducted at the Baoji City No. 60 Military Hospital when a tube was inserted into her trachea.

Ms. Liu Xiaoling, 37, was from Zhaodong City, Heilongjiang Province. She was killed by force feeding at the Zhaodong City Detention Center.

Mr. Wu Baowang, 36, was from Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province. On May 17, 2002, he lost consciousness after being force fed strong salt water by Shuangcheng Detention Center staff. He died later that day.

Ms. Liu Guiying, 43, lived in Mishan City, Heilongjiang Province. On October 24, 2002, she was killed by force feeding done at the Mishan City Detention Center.

Mr. Li Huiwen, 32, was a medical doctor at the Yangquan Mineral Bureau, Shanxi Province. On February 26, 2003, he was killed by force feeding at the Taiyuan City Xindian Forced Labor Camp.

Mr. Tan Chengqiang, 43, lived in Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province. On July 19, 2003, he was force fed by by staff at the Shuangcheng City No. 2 Detention Center and died from lung damage.

Ms. Li Weihong was from Shanghai. At the end of 2000, she was force fed hot pepper water by police in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. She writhed on the floor in severe pain. Her esophagus, liver, intestines and stomach were all severely damaged. She was sentenced to a one-year term of imprisonment, but was released on bail for medical treatment. She was sent to the Shanghai Jingan Region Central Hospital. The doctor found severe organ damage. On April 19, 2003, Li Weihong died.

Mr. Chen Naifa, a Falun Gong practitioner in his forties, was from Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. He was imprisoned in the Zhejiang Province No. 4 Prison. The prison police cut open his throat to force feed him. He died on April 11, 2004.

Mr. Sun Xiaojun, 32, was from Fuyang City of Zhejiang Province. He was already on the verge of death from force-feeding torture at the Zhejiang Province No. 4 Prison. On June 30, 2009, after he returned home, he was not able to eat anything. He would throw up even after drinking water. He was incontinent, and he had continual convulsions. He died at about 11:00 pm on July 15, 2009.

According the data that has been confirmed, at least 358 Falun Gong practitioners in China have been killed by force feeding. The actual total is believed to be much higher.

Written on February 28, 2010