By a Falun Dafa Practitioner from Mainland China

(Clearwisdom.net)

The police officers in the Shayang Labor Camp of Hubei Province have persecuted Falun Dafa practitioners since November 17, 1999. The practitioners who were tortured came from many areas of Hubei Province including Xianning, Yichang, Jingmen, Huangpo, Xiaogan, Hanchuan, Songzi, Qianjiang, Shiyan, Laohekou, Huangmei, Wuxue, and Enshi.

At first, the police officers pretended to show concern for the practitioners, but on the other hand, they encouraged criminals in the labor camp to persecute practitioners. Practitioners suffered from physical abuse and heavy labor. At that time, the police officers threatened practitioners and gave them an ultimatum: if one wrote a "guarantee letter" to give up cultivation within the first two months in the labor camp, then one would be released regardless of the length of the term. Otherwise, one would be severely punished.

Two months later, practitioners were separated into the first, second, fifth, sixth, and eighth brigades (the second and the ninth brigades were for detaining female practitioners). Regardless of the harsh conditions brought about by the seasons or the weather, practitioners were forced to do heavy labor. However, if a practitioner accepted the brainwashing, then he was excused from doing the heavy labor. When practitioners resisted the persecution, they would be tortured with cruel methods such as Carrying a Sword on the Back*, Riding an Airplane*, electric shock, beatings with fists and kicks, forced-feeding, and sleep-deprivation. These tortures often occurred at night. Many practitioners who were tortured became disabled or injured. However, most people in Chinese society are unaware of these tortures.

In March 2000, some practitioners in Shayang Labor Camp turned against Dafa under the brainwashing and torture. The second, third, and eighth brigades were used for these people. The practitioners who remained determined were distributed in other brigades to do heavy labor. Many practitioners lost consciousness due to the summer heat or vomited blood due to the excessive hard labor. Later, many practitioners who succumbed unwillingly to the persecution awakened after reading the latest articles from Teacher. They were then sent to do hard labor. Six people were assigned to watch one practitioner, and the practitioners were separated.

At the beginning of 2001, the practitioners renewed their resistance to the persecution. On May 17, new brigades (one male and one female) were formed for tight control. On that day, the police party secretary Liu Hai brought a special police team and other policemen to torture practitioners in the male brigade. From early morning to late at night, almost every practitioner who was detained in the tightly controlled brigade was tortured with "Carrying a Sword on the Back," shocked with two or three electric batons, punched and kicked, forced to remain kneeling or hung-up. Some practitioners who resisted the persecution were tortured until late in the night and sent to solitary confinement. The tightly controlled brigades became the focal points of persecution and bases for brainwashing. Special police teams tortured practitioners everyday. Even when practitioners turned their head to look at something, the police would jump to beat them or severely torture them. In the evening, they would throw some practitioners into solitary confinement. The police officers used all kinds of means to try to brainwash practitioners. The responsible police officers were Zhang Xiumin, Wang Gang, Huang Tao, among others.

On January 9, 2002, the male brigade that was under tight control was merged with the third brigade. The policeman in charge was still Zhang Xiumin. Therefore, the whole third brigade adopted the torture tactics of the tightly controlled brigade. The torture tactics and brainwashing measures in the third brigade were carried out systematically and were very damaging. They became the models for other labor camps and brainwashing classes.

Since October 2000, those former practitioners who turned against Falun Dafa in Shayang Labor Camp went to other labor camps with police officers to deceive practitioners. The labor camps they visited included the Central Brainwashing Class of Hubei Province, Shizishan Labor Camp, Shiyan Central Brainwashing Class, Jingmen Brainwashing Class, Jingzhou Brainwashing Class, Yichang Brainwashing Class, and others. Those who assisted the persecution of practitioners received cash awards.

2003-1-12

Posting date: 4/25/2003
Original article date: 4/23/2003
Category: Eye Witness Accounts
Chinese version available at http://minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/4/15/48425.html

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