(Clearwisdom.net) The officials of the Jilin Province Women's Prison have established a complete system to brutally torture Falun Gong practitioners to force them to renounce their beliefs.
Methods Used
1. Setting up a Specialized Division for Falun Gong Persecution
Director of the prison: Jia Binxin
Deputy Director: Wu Zeyun (in charge of persecuting Falun Gong)
Other Deputy Directors: Li Jian, Wang (first name unknown)
The “Transformation and Education” Division was established specifically for persecuting Falun Gong. It includes four sections. Cao Hong was the division chief from 2003 to 2007. Zhang (first name unknown) is the current division chief. The deputy chief is Ni Xiaohong. The four section chiefs are Liu Minghua, Yang Xi, Guo Jufeng and Dong (first name unknown). Since its establishment in March 2003, more than 300 Falun Gong practitioners have been detained there.
2. Brainwashing By Collaborators
For newly-arrived practitioners, the prison officials brainwash them. Inmates are ordered to monitor and torture practitioners. From 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. or midnight, practitioners were forced to sit on small stools. Collaborators give lectures. Collaborators include: Yang Xiaodong, Zhao Guifeng, Liu Xiu'e, Liu Jingli, Ma Yechi, Yan Huawei, Li Xuewei and Li Xiaoguang.
3. Confinement Torture
The practitioners who held firm to their beliefs were confined in dark cells with no restrooms, water or sunshine. Four inmates and a collaborator tortured each practitioner. The collaborator played mind games to try to “transform” the practitioner. The inmates tortured the practitioner with various methods like tying ropes, sitting on stools, standing for a long-time, forced-feeding, or the “big hang up” (four-limbs stretching).
“Big hang up” (four-limbs stretched)
Force-feeding
4. Creating Conflicts Between Practitioners
The prison guards gossiped among practitioners to cause distrust between practitioners so as to force them to renounce Falun Gong. The prison officials encouraged practitioners to report other practitioners. They lied to practitioner A about practitioner B reporting A, then lied to practitioner B about A reporting B...
5. Using Buddhist Theories to Confuse Practitioners
The prison officials constantly tried to instill so-called Buddhist theories in practitioners to confuse them so that they could force practitioners to renounce Falun Gong.
6. Forced Labor
Practitioners were forced to work from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. under bad working conditions without any restroom breaks. They were only given a few minutes for lunch break. They were not allowed to rest until they finished their quota. A lot of practitioners have been under this torture for a long time.
7. Deprivation of Basic Rights
Practitioners who refused to renounce Falun Gong were deprived of family visits, blankets, daily necessities or outdoor breaks. Some practitioners were under extreme mental tension and were on the brink of a mental breakdown.
8. Videos Made by Former Practitioners Used to Brainwash Steadfast Practitioners
Prison officials asked collaborators to provide lectures that defame Falun Gong. Their lectures were taped and made into DVDs. The newly-arrived practitioners were forced to watch these videos as an effort to confuse them and thus transform them.
9. Separation
Practitioners from the same area were not allowed to live together. Practitioners were not allowed to talk to each other.
Examples of Persecution in Jilin Women's Prison
1. Ms. Ban Huijuan, 45, from Huadian City, Jilin Province, were sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2002. Her husband was also sentenced to 12 years in prison. Their 15-year-old son was left home alone without care. She was a pretty lady but now her eyes are dull and her mind is not clear. She is not able to recognize people and walks like a robot.
Police from the Huadian Police Department tortured Ms. Ban: her head was covered with a plastic bag full of smoke
Prison guard Cao Hong, four inmates and the collaborator Qiao Hui tortured Ms. Ban. They stripped off all of her clothes and forced her to stand on the cement floor for 10 days. As a result, she became incontinent. She was also tortured with the “big hang up”, electric shocks, confinement, and injections of unknown drugs. Now her mind is not clear and she is not able to talk clearly. Whenever she got scared, she wet her pants. Since her family has not visited her for a long time, she does not even remember her husband's name.
2. Li Juan, 55, a former kindergarten teacher of Jilin City 5704 Factory, was sentenced to six years of prison in 2005. Her father is over 80 years old and is left home without care. Since Ms. Li refused to renounce Falun Gong, she was subjected to long-term torture such as the “big hang up”, injections of unknown drugs, confinement and deprivation of sleep. Her hands and feet are rotten with black finger nails and toe nails. She has been suffering physical and mental torture. Prison guard Cao Hong and inmates Yang Hui, Liu Chunyang and Wang Xiufang tortured Ms. Li.
Torture demo: Injection of unknown drug
3. Ms. Xiang Lijie, 48, from Songyuan City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2006. She has been suffering long-term torture since she refused to give up her belief. One prison guard Yang Xi tortured her with the “big hang up”. Inmate Shen Lihui and collaborator Yang Xiaodong stepped on her arms to tie her arms which caused the bones in her arms to dislocate. Her right arm became atrophied and completely lost its function. She was not able to write or have meals with it.
Torture demo: big hang up without toe tips touching the floor
4. Ms. Ma Shiyan, 54 years old, used to own a restaurant business, was sentenced to eight years in prison. She was very healthy when she was admitted. She refused to renounce Falun Gong and was thus subjected to long-term torture of standing, once more than 50 days. Her legs became swollen. She was forced to sleep on a bare bed board without any bed covers. She became emaciated with only bones and skin. Her chest and back were propped up. The prison guard said that she was diagnosed with bone cancer in the hospital. In 2009, the prison officials asked her family to take her home to avoid responsibility. Prison guard Yang Xi and inmate Shi Chuanxiang had participated in the persecution of Ms. Ma.
5. Ms. Jing Fengyun, 60, from Songyuan City, Jilin Province, was a chief nurse in a hospital. She was sentenced to five years in prison in 2002. She had been subjected to long-term torture since she refused to give up her belief. She was under confinement, deprived of using restrooms, hung up and forced to sleep on a bare bed board. One inmate Liu Chunyang rode on her back to beat her up. Prison guard Cao Hong participated in persecuting Ms. Jing.
6. Ms. Yu Cuilan, 55, from Changchun City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to 10 years of prison in 2007. Due to long-term torture in prison, she was sent to the Jilin Province Police Hospital for eight months. Now she is emaciated and very weak. She was barely able to walk by herself. Prison guard Li Minghua and inmates Liu Chunyang and Yang Hui participated in persecuting Ms. Yu.
7. Ms. Gao Hui, 44, from Dehui City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to prison in 2009. Right after she was admitted into the prison, she was subjected to various brutal tortures for two months, including being tied with ropes, the big hang up, stripping off of clothes, leaving windows open in the winter and sleeping on a bare bed board. Prison guard Yang Xi and inmates Peng Shuyun and Zhang Shujie participated in persecuting Ms. Gao.
Tying Ropes: Ropes are tied on the arms close to the shoulder behind the back, then the person is hang up with the rope to the limit that the feet barely touch the ground to support the body weight. The ropes are very tight and almost cut into the flesh.
8. Ms. Liu Xia, 55, from Panshi City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2009. Once she was forced to stand up for more than 40 days. Her legs became swollen afterward. Now she is mentally unstable. Prison guard Yang Xi and inmates Kang Wei, Zhang Shujie and Yang (first name unknown) participated in persecuting Ms. Liu.
9. Ms. Huang Yajun, 38, from Changchun City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2009. She had been subjected to long-term torture with long-time standing. She was also tortured with “stretching on the bed” three times. Her wrists and ankles were rotten due to the torture. She was also mentally tortured with insult and humiliation. Prison guard Liu Minghua participated in persecuting Ms. Huang.
10. Ms. Hou Chunxiang, in her 50's, from Jilin City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to six years in prison in 2009. She suffered long-term torture like sitting on small stools for a long time, deprivation of using restrooms, brainwashing, humiliation, deprivation of family visits and sleeping on a bare bed board. Prison guard Yang Xi and inmates Kang Wei and Zhang Shujie participated in persecuting Ms. Hou.
11. Ms. Li Yanrong, 57, from Panshi City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2009. Since she refused to renounce Falun Gong, she was subjected to brainwashing and was deprived of the right to use the restroom. After sometime, she developed acute urinary infection and then transformed into acute nephritis. She had high fever of more than 102°F. Prison guard Yang Xi and collaborator Wang Yan participated in persecuting Ms. Li.
12. Ms. Zuo Yan, 49, from Jilin City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2003. When she was just admitted to the prison, she was forced to attend brainwashing sessions and was detained in a small cell for more than a month and was deprived of the right to use the restrooms. She was tortured for a month and was on the brink of a mental breakdown. In 2006, when she had a physical checkup, she was “diagnosed” with breast cancer without any solid medical evidence. Then she was sent to the Jilin Province Police Hospital for a forcible operation with little anesthetic. After the operation, the hospital did a laboratory test and confirmed that she did not have breast cancer. The prison guard Cao Hong and inmates Yang Hui and Liu Chunyang had participated in persecuting Ms. Zuo.
13. Ms. Song Yanqun, from Shulan City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2004. Since she refused to give up her belief, she had suffered long-term torture like the “big hang up”, confinement in a small cell and forced-feeding of unknown drugs. She spit blood and had a high fever of 100 degrees F all the time. Prison guard Cao Hong and Hu (first name unknown, transferred) and inmate Liu Chunyang participated in persecuting Ms. Song.
14. Ms. Zhao Yingjie, from Jilin City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to six years in prison in 2007. She had suffered various long-term torture including being tied with ropes, confinement and forced-feeding. As a result, she had tuberculosis and had stayed in the Jilin Province Police Hospital for a year for treatment. Prison guard Ni Xiaohong and inmate Wang Xiufang participated in persecuting Ms. Zhao.
15. Ms. Wang Xingxiang, 56, from Dehui City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2006. Since she refused to renounce Falun Gong, she had been subjected to various long-term tortures, including standing for a long time, self-confinement and the “big hang up”. Her feet became swollen and her toe nails were rotten. Now her legs become stiff and she is not able to bend them freely as she walks. Prison guard Cao Hong and inmate Hu Jie had participated in persecuting Ms. Wang.
16. Ms. Du Hongfang, in her 50's, from Jilin City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2007. She had suffered various long-term tortures, such as confinement, the “big hang up”, long-time standing and deprivation of sleep. Now she is mentally ill. Prison guard Ni Xiaohong and Dong (first name unknown), inmate Shi Chuanxiang and collaborator Yang Xiaojie participated in persecuting Ms. Du.
17. Ms. Liu Guixia, from Jilin City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2002. She had been tortured with confinement, the “big hang up”, long-time standing and being electrically shock. She has lost most of her teeth and her skin has started to rot. Prison guard Liu (first name unknown) participated the persecution of Ms. Liu.
18. Ms. Guan Fengxia, from Xiaohe City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2007. Since she refused to cooperate with the prison officials, she had been subjected to long-term torture like confinement, long-term standing, stretching, being tied with ropes and brainwashing. Now, she is unable to walk and has been bedridden. She is barely able to take care of herself. Prison guard Cao Hong and Fu Shuping, inmate Yang Hui, Liu Chunyang and Yang Yanqiu participated in persecuting Ms. Guan.
19. Ms. Han Xiaolian, from Jiutan City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2003. Since she refused to renounce Falun Gong, she has suffered various long-term tortures, including being tied with ropes and confinement. Prison guards Cao Hong and Hu (first name unknown) and inmates Yang Hui, Liu Chunyang, Yang Yanqiu and Wang Shuqin participated in persecuting Ms. Han.
20. Ms. Yang Jun, 42, from Dehui City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2004. She had been tortured brutally. Once she was tied with ropes and her head was pushed to hit against the heater. Her head was broken and had 12 stitches. She had to pay for the medical expenses. Prison guard Cao Hong and inmate Liu Chunyang and Zhang Yingjie participated in persecuting Ms. Yang.
21. Ms. Yu Guoqing, from Jilin City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2002. She was persecuted to death in 2009. Due to long-term torture and threatening, she had stomach bleeding and was not able to eat. When she was sent to the Jilin Province Police Hospital, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. She passed away three months later. Police guard Cao Hong and inmates Zhao Guifeng and Wang Shuqin had participated in persecuting Ms. Yu.
22. Ms. Yang Guiqin and Ms. Yang Guijun, sisters in their 30's, from Dongliao County, Jilin Province. They were both sentenced to seven years in prison in 2002. In 2003, since both of them refused to renounce Falun Gong, they had been brutally tortured with beating, long-time standing and hard labor. Both of them were persecuted to death one after another. Chief prison guard Li Haiyan and prison guard Huo (transferred) participated in persecuting the Yang sisters.
23. Ms. Guo Yuhua, from Jilin City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2002. She has been suffering from being tied with ropes nine times. She has also suffered various long-term tortures like long-time standing and sleeping without a bed cover on a bare bed board. Her two legs have become swollen and part of her lower legs suffer from nervous necrosis. She has difficulty walking. Prison guard Ni Xiaohong participated in persecuting Ms. Guo.
24. Ms. An Shuyun, from Siping City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to three years in prison. She had been tortured with various means, like confinement, long-time standing and intensive brainwashing. Prison guard Yang Xi and inmate Zhang Shujie participated in persecuting Ms. An.
25. Ms. Liu Fengrong, 56, from Jilin City, Jilin Province, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2002. She has been subjected to long-term torture, like being tied with ropes, confinement, long-time sitting on stools and brainwashing. She had suffered both physical and mental damage.
Due to long-term torture in prison, most of the practitioners have suffered severe damage physically and mentally. Some have mental illness and some have paralyzed body parts, some had relapses and some were persecuted to death.
Even for practitioners who left the prison alive, they continued to be harassed or threatened by local officials from the 610 Office, police stations or local residential committees. They are not able to live freely.
