(Minghui.org) More than 30 Falun Gong practitioners in Tonghua, Jilin were arrested by local police on September 2, 2014. Between September 2 and October 18, twenty of them were sent to three brainwashing sessions arranged by various local 610 Offices at the Xishan Brainwashing Center.
Mr. Du Guolin was the last one released from the brainwashing center on October 18. Upon Mr. Du's release, he recounted the abuses he suffered in the past one and a half months.
The Brainwashing Center
I was taken to the Xishan Brainwashing Center in the afternoon of September 30. It's a four story building—I was kept in a room on the second floor. Practitioners Xu Hongjun and Hou Qinghua were detained in the same room as me. Each of us was monitored by one person—the brainwashing center paid them 50 yuan each day. Some people quit this job after a while, so the brainwashing center had to hire others—sometimes with increased pay—to replace them.
The brainwashing center collected 80 yuan from us each day for meals, but the food provided was extremely poor. This profitable “business” was another incentive for the authorities to arrange brainwashing sessions.
To “hide” from the public, the Xishan Brainwashing Center doesn't have a doorplate at the entrance.
We were forced to watch video programs that either slandered Falun Gong or glorified the communist regime through falsified history.
After playing the videos, the head of the 610 Office Xue Yuliang or Zhao Shujun gave a speech with similar propaganda. They often threatened us: “If you don't transform, we will send you back to the detention center, and you can just wait to be sentenced to prison!”
Sometimes 610 Office staff suddenly broke into my room to see if I was doing the Falun Gong exercises.
Home Ransacked and Forcible Arrest
Police officers and staff from the residential committee broke into my home and ransacked it a few hours before they arrested me on September 2.
They looted nearly everything from my home, from computers, printers, cash, Falun Gong books, to items as small as a screwdriver and nail clippers.
I was working at a fruit wholesale market when eight people suddenly approached me. Without showing me their identification or providing any explanation, two of them grabbed me by the arms and dragged me towards their car.
“Who are you? Where are you taking me?” I struggled to break free.
“You will know when you arrive at the place,” one of them answered.
My manager came over and demanded to see their identification.
“We only want to get some information from him,” said one of the officers, who finally told us that they were from Tuanjie Police Station.
I insisted that they show their ID and arrest warrant. They ignored my demand and tried to drag me into the car.
My manager got in their way and asked, “Why are you arresting my employee?”
“He practices Falun Gong,” the police said.
“What's wrong with practicing Falun Gong? It's his spiritual belief. It doesn't break the law to be a good person,” my manager said.
The police threatened him, saying,“Practicing Falun Gong is a political issue. We will arrest you too if you dare to go on.”
During the struggle, the police tore off part of my clothing and my belt. They shoved me to the ground. One officer grabbed me by the hair and pushed my face down.
Torture re-enactment: Shoved to the ground and stepped on
Condemned by the bystanders, the police temporarily let go of me, but still insisted on taking me to the police station.
I threw my waist pack to my manager, as it contained that day's earnings. The police intercepted it and confiscated everything inside, including 310 yuan, two phones, my house key, and a spring scale that I used to weigh fruit.
Two more police cars arrived. Six officers carried me straight to the car and drove away.
I was taken to Dongchang District Police Department.
Interrogation
The officers dragged me out of the car. One person hit me in the head with my waist pack. They brought me to an interrogation room, which was a little more than 100 square feet. The walls were padded for sound-proofing. There was a metal chair on the right side of the room, with a camera in front of it.
The officers forced me into the chair and locked my feet, chest, and wrists to it. Sitting behind the desk in front of me, the officers began to ask me questions. I remained silent.
Torture re-enactment: Locked in a chair
“It's fine if you don't say anything. We've arrested other practitioners. They will tell us everything we need to know. And with the Falun Gong things we got from your home, we can still put you in prison.”
I knew this was their tactic to get information from me, a very typical one. I didn't give in.
They kept asking me questions until 5 p.m. With instructions from their supervisor, they filled out a detention warrant. When it came to the field about which law was violated, they had to inquire with their supervisor again.
They took me to the hospital for a checkup. I explained to the doctor what was going on, and he declined to carry it out. The officers had to get instructions from their supervisor for a third time. In the end, I was taken to Tonghua Detention Center.
The Detention Center
As soon as we arrived at the detention center, I was taken to the No. 9 cell.
The guard tried to take a picture of me, and was going to take me to the hospital for a checkup the next morning. I refused to cooperate.
Chuai Zhiyong, head of the detention center, was very upset and yelled at me. I was taken back to the cell. At night, two police officers came and interrogated me again.
On September 10, I tried to appeal to the prosecutor who worked in the detention center about my illegal arrest. He rejected my appeal. I was rejected again when I tried to appeal to another prosecutor on September 26.
The guards ordered inmates to monitor Falun Gong practitioners detained there. I had to ask for permission if I wanted to use the restroom or drink water.
During my time at the detention center, officers kept coming back to interrogate me. I didn't provide them with any information.
