(Minghui.org) Regarding the article, “A Plea for Help from a Slave Labor Camp in China Spurs U.S. Government Investigation” (http://en.minghui.org/html/articles/2012/12/28/136806.html) on the Minghui website, I would like to share more on how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) profits by forcing Falun Gong practitioners to do slave labor while imprisoned.
There are a total of 14 divisions in Liaoning Women's Prison. Twelve of them (with the exception of the hospital and kitchen) force practitioners and criminal inmates to do slave labor. The prison has three divisions—the In Unit, Out Unit, and Young Prisoner Unit—which make cotton swabs. Not many prisoners are located in the Out Unit, but many are in the other two units.
Liaoning Women's Prison makes products for the Shenyang Anna Garment Group and the Shenyang Zhonghe Clothing Co., Ltd. The clothing made includes pencil pants, checkered shirts, shorts, and skirts, made for the Shenyang Anna Garment Group. A label for the Korean brand Bangbang, is put on the pencil pants and several shorts. In recent years, the checkered shirts have become more popular, so many of them are being produced. The shirt is difficult to make because of the symmetry required between the left and the right sides of the shirt.
The products made for the Zhonghe Clothing Co. are primarily cotton garments for winter and clothing for workers. These are exported to Canada for the police and janitors. These clothes have a silver reflective strip. Products made in small quantities include ski suits, Jack Daniel's cotton clothing, and Mickey-style clothing for children.
Other products made in the prison include food boxes for McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken, moon cake boxes, sweaters, and beauty products. However, clothing is the main product.
Everyone is forced to work 12 hours per day, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All three meals are to be eaten in the workshop. However, some prisoners are so busy that they only eat before and after “work hours” in their cells. Some have no time to wash their bowls. Completing their work quota is critical in order to avoid penalties, such as not being able to buy daily supplies, standing or squatting for long periods of time, or beatings. Sometimes an entire team is penalized to force them to produce more. When a mistake is made during the production process, the individual will be confined in a small cell and forced to write a letter admitting her mistakes before being released.
The prison now claims that it “manages in a human way.” Actually, pressure to complete the work quota has increased. The prison now allows “rest” time once per week, but the same quota has to be completed in six days rather than seven. During busy seasons such as the year-end, work hours are 15 hours per day, from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. When considering the time to prepare for the forced labor, washing, etc., only about four to five hours are left for sleep. Also, only cold water is available to shower no matter the season. Due to long hours and not enough sleep, it's easy to make a mistake and hurt oneself while sewing.
Signs along the roads inside the prison compound read, “Labor is the best mentor against ignorance.” However, the imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners suffer both mentally and physically. Even when they are menstruating, “work” takes priority, and restroom use is limited. Also, only manual labor is used when it comes to moving the merchandise around.