Documentation of Persecution at the Jinzhou City Forced Labor Camp

(Clearwisdom.net) The Jinzhou City Forced Labor Camp is located in the northwest corner of the city at the intersection of Jinchao Street and Songpo Street and to the east of the Liuchang Wangtun residential quarter.

From November 1999 to November 2000, a number of Falun Gong practitioners were kept illegally at the Jinzhou City Forced Labor Camp for brainwashing. For one year, practitioners were dispersed among a number of production brigades and forced to work at extremely arduous physical tasks, such as digging cable trenches and carrying grain into storage. The labor camp made a lot of money from their slave labor.

Falun Gong practitioners were arrested for simply practicing their beliefs in order to improve their health, and to be better people according to the standard of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance." Because they remained dedicated to their beliefs and insisted on telling the government the truth, many lost their freedom and were illegally detained to be subjected to brainwashing. In reality, they are being persecuted as a result of Jiang Zemin's desire for absolute power. All Falun Gong practitioners are innocent victims.

At the Jinzhou City Forced Labor Camp, Falun Gong practitioners were beaten by other inmates and by policemen. Practitioner Yanli from the Second Production Brigade was injured by an inmate named Jin Wei, who beat him with a bed board. Li Hongcheng from the New Brigade suffered broken ribs as a result of a beating by police officers Zhang Haiping and Jin Fuli. Shi Zhongyan from the Fifth Production Brigade was beaten and developed a punctured ear. Li Kai's finger was scorched black by policeman Gao Yang's cigarettes.

In August 2000, the Jinzhou City Forced Labor Camp established a "Strict Discipline Team" within the New Brigade targeting Falun Gong practitioners.

Because of the severe abuse, in September 2000, Falun Gong practitioners submitted a joint letter to the center's administration demanding proper handling of the guilty policemen. The center ignored their appeal. On November 4, 2000, all Falun Gong practitioners collectively staged a strike. As a result, they were "tightly regulated" by the Forced Labor Camp. They were confined and forced to listen to tapes slandering Falun Gong.

In the middle of November 2000, Ling Bingzhi, Vice Commissioner of Liaoning Province's Judiciary Department, along with seven individuals from the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp, came to Jinzhou City to persecute practitioners of Falun Dafa. Inside the Forced Labor Camp's main office building, the individuals tried to deceive and threaten practitioners into writing so-called "guarantee" letters (letters guaranteeing that the signator would renounce the practice of Falun Gong) and giving up their investigation of incidents of persecution.

On the morning of November 16, 2000, Ling Bingzhi and the individuals from Masanjia gave speeches during a conference held on the fifth floor of the Forced Labor Camp. Falun Gong practitioners resisted their lies and persecution; many practitioners tried to leave the conference. The Forced Labor Camp's Political Secretary, Zhang Haiping, and Vice Chief Jin Fuli gave orders to send those practitioners who refused to be brainwashed to the "Strict Discipline Team." Later that afternoon, Zhang Haiping ordered policeman Liu Tielin to shock practitioners who would not recite the guidelines with electric batons. Practitioners Zuo Zhongyou, Yanli, Liu Yongsheng, Liu Litao, and Wang Guiling carried out a hunger strike. The "Strict Discipline Team" Dafa practitioners were subjected to torture including "bench sitting"; inmates guarded those who were on hunger strike every day from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

On November 1, 2000, the Jinzhou Forced Labor Camp established a Second Production Brigade exclusively dedicated to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Ma Yong was the brigade leader; Feng Zibin was the instructor; the assistant leader was Li Songtao. Other leaders included Zhang Jiabin, Yang Tinglun, Zhang Chunfeng, Wu Dong, Han Jianjun, Zhao Yongli and Mu Jinsheng. All Falun Gong practitioners were transferred from the New Brigade to the Second Production Brigade.

View from the front entrance of the Jinzhou City Forced Labor Camp

View from the hallway outside of the cells of Dafa practitioners

This is the Second Production Brigade's one-story building. All Falun Gong practitioners were imprisoned in the building shown on the right side of the left picture. The right picture shows a view from a corner of the hallway; this position was used to observe the "prison cells." Falun Gong practitioners were confined here for a month before they were moved to a three-story building situated in front of this one (the taller building later became the torture room used by policemen when persecuting Dafa practitioners).

While held at the Second Production Brigade's one-story building, Dafa practitioners continued to be subjected to the "sitting on the iron board" torture. (For a detailed description of this and other forms of torture used in forced labor camps, see http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2001/11/24/16156.html) At night, some practitioners suffered additional torture. In mid-November, practitioners demanded to rescind their "guarantee" letters and to declare them null and void. Policemen Ma Yong, Feng Zibin and Li Songtao immediately started to pressure the practitioners.

View from the entrance to the Second Production Brigade

In December, 2000, under a plan of the Forced Labor Camp and the Second Production Brigade, Falun Gong practitioners were moved from the one-story building to a three-story building. Practitioners were divided to be managed. Those who had written "guarantee" letters and new practitioners lived on the second floor; those who remained steadfast in their belief lived on the third floor.

This is the third floor. The overnight watch office is on the left side of the picture. The right side shows the stairs. Behind the iron bars are "prison cells" that housed practitioners.

View of the third floor

This is the third floor. To the left of the hallway (south side) are four "prison cells." At the end of the hallway is the conference room (classroom). To the right of the hallway (north side), are cells number 5 and 6, a sink room and a restroom.

View from the door to the windows

View from the windows to the door

These are the "prison cells" where practitioners were confined. Practitioners had to go through the "iron board" torture every day from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. They were watched twenty-four hours by inmates. The Forced Labor Camp operated on a closed system: it sealed off all news to the outside world, and Falun Gong practitioners were not allowed to see their families. The windows had "dead blinds,", meaning one could only see a little bit of the sky, and couldn't see below. Because of these blinds, the rooms were really dark. The glass in all the doors was covered by cloth screens. If someone walked down the second floor hallway towards the conference room, or if reporters came for interviews, the screens were lowered so no one could see in. A security camera was installed in every room, providing minute-to-minute surveillance of practitioners.

Leaders of the brigade would keep watch by the iron bars. Looking through the bars one could see the surveillance cameras in the hallway. All the cameras, blinds and iron bars were later added; their purpose was to prepare for the persecution of practitioners. The installation of surveillance cameras alone cost tens of thousands of yuan; these funds came from higher up in the command.

The Political Secretary of the Forced Labor Camp, Zhang Haiping, and Vice Chief Jin Fuli often came to inspect the Second Production Brigade. They told the inmates, "If Falun Gong practitioners say you guys are good, we will lengthen your sentence; if they say you are bad, then we will shorten your sentence..." thus instigating inmates to abuse practitioners. This is an example of how the Forced Labor Camp treated practitioners. Inmates were required to report to the leaders every day, and to write notes about their guard experience. Policemen often held conferences about the practitioners and gave them orders and jobs.

In mid-February 2001, practitioners on the third floor were "rearranged." The Forced Labor Camp's Management Office and Education Office sent almost twenty policemen to the second floor and broke up five practitioners who lived in cell 2. This was to make it easier for them to persecute practitioners individually. (The five practitioners were: Shi Zhongyan, Yanli, Wang Yuqing, Wang Guiling and Rong Gang). Shi Zhongyan was later handcuffed to a big metal chair on the first floor; Yanli was sent to the "small cell"; Rong Gang was moved to the second floor (later he was tortured there). After about twenty days, those policemen were reassigned.

After this, the Forced Labor Camp rearranged its personnel and extra people were assigned to the Second Production Brigade. Here is a list of names of the brigade members at that time: Ma Yong, Feng Zibin, Li Songtao, Yang Tinglun, Zhang Jiabin, Yang Tinglun, Zhang Chunfeng, Wu Dong, Han Jianjun, Zhao Yongli and Mu Jinsheng, Mu Huaisheng, Liu Xin, Yan Guosheng, Zhou Jiyao, Han Guangxian, and Gao Wenchang.

View of the third floor conference room (classroom)

This is the conference room (classroom) on the third floor. The Second Production Brigade's policemen coerced practitioners to read their "guarantee" letters in this room. It was also here that the cable TV reporters had their interviews, outside visitors came for inspection, and groups of "reformed" practitioners tried their brainwashing techniques. On March 14, 2001, the Forced Labor Camp invited Feng Shoumin, a worker from a local petroleum chemical factory, to give a speech to praise the persecution. During the speech, which was characterized by lies, exaggeration and empty claims, practitioner Rong Gang stood up and left the room. Policemen Li Songtao and Ma Yong brought Rong Gang to the first floor, handcuffed him to a metal chair, and told inmate Sun Weichen to cover Rong Gang's mouth. Then they tortured him brutally. Rong Gang suffered severe burns from electric batons, and his toes started to bleed from being stepped on by the policemen.

In February and March of 2001, the Second Production Brigade started to torture practitioners. They didn't dare to use torture publicly because they were afraid of people finding out what they were doing. So they did it secretively. Sometimes, inside the empty room at the very end of the first floor, they would stuff practitioners' mouths and torture them. Other times, they carried out torture sessions in the one-floor building. The Second Production Brigade had a big metal chair. When torturing people, they would force practitioners against it and cuff their hands and feet to the metal chair, rendering the practitioners immobile. Then they would shock them with electric batons for long periods of time.

Brief description of the torture cases:

Xiao Peng, male, 29 years old, was a Falun Dafa practitioner from Jiudaoling, Yi County, Jinzhou City. He was a veterinarian. In March 2001, policemen Ma Yong, Feng Zibin, Li Songtao and Yang Tinglun from the Second Production Brigade tortured Xiao Peng repeatedly inside the torture rooms. Xiao's chest, stomach and the soles of his feet were shocked for a long time; the skin on his chest and stomach was severely burned. After many rounds of torture, Xiao Peng suffered a mental collapse. On April 11, 2001, Xiao Peng was sent home. In June 2002, Xiao Peng died at his home while in a state of psychosis. He was only 30 years old.

Liu Yongsheng, male, 25 years old, is a Dafa practitioner from Jinzhou City's Yi County. On March 28, 2001, policemen Feng Zibin, Li Songtao and Zhang Jiashan took Liu Yongsheng to the torture room, and handcuffed him to the metal chair before they tortured him. Policeman Li Songtao pulled Liu's pants down to his knees and then shocked his genitalia. Liu Yongsheng suffered great mental and physical pain.

Liu Pin, male, 29 years old, is a farmer from Sunjiawan, Taihe District, Jinzhou City. In February 2001, Liu Pin was tricked into going to the first floor, where he was pressured by "reformed" practitioners for ten days. During this time, he was made to stand and squat for long periods of time, and was beaten and shocked by policemen Ma Yong and Li Songtao. In March 2001, inside the torture room, Li Songtao used two electric batons, and policeman Wu Dong used one electric baton to shock Liu Pin for a long time. They shocked Liu Pin's head, neck, front chest and back, and the soles of his feet. Liu couldn't walk when they released him from the metal chair.

Rong Gang, male, around 35 years old, is a supervisor at the Jinzhou City Port Authority. After the forced reassignment in February 2001, Rong Gang was moved down to the second floor where he was pressured by a group of "reformed" practitioners. On March 14, 2001, during a slanderous speech given by petroleum chemical factory worker Feng Shoumin, Rong Gang resisted the lies by leaving the conference room. On the first floor, policemen Ma Yong and Li Songtao shocked him for a long time. Liu was also made to maintain a squatting position for a long time. At 9:00 p.m., he was again shocked with electric batons.

Zhao Lianquan, male, 30 some years old, was shocked for an extended period of time until he passed out.

At the end of March or the beginning of April 2001, when practitioners were let out in the fields for exercise, Liu Yongsheng was at the entrance of the building asking everyone for help -- "Fellow practitioners, help me! They are beating me to death..." At that time, everyone in the whole field heard him. Liu Yongheng was taken away by the police. In April, Liu Yongsheng was seen wearing a safety helmet and being dragged across the hallway by two inmates, one of whom was Jiang Zhipeng.

In May 2001, many practitioners renounced their "guarantee" letters. As a result, many practitioners were moved back to the third floor.

This is a view of the second floor from the hallway. The left side (south side) has six "prison cells," cells 1-6; and the right side (north side) has four cells, cells 7-10, followed by a sink room and a restroom.

Incidences of pressures from collaborators who, as a result of brainwashing and torture, had renounced the practice and joined the persecution, often occurred on the second floor. Police officer Li Songtao used these collaborators to pressure Dafa practitioners for prolonged periods of time, coupling threats and false promises. Such illegal action demonstrates the officers' (Ma Yong, Feng Zibin and Li Songtao) treacherous and despicable natures. At the Second Production Brigade, every practitioner experienced attacks by the collaborators, some more than once.

This is the first floor. The iron bars were to the left, and the stairs were on the right. The construction of the first floor was essentially the same as the second floor. At the south end of the hallway were the surveillance room, two offices and three empty rooms. On the north side was a restroom, a sink room, a visitor's room, and three empty rooms. Incidents such as using collaborators to attack practitioners, forcing Dafa practitioners to stand or squat down for long periods of time, and shocking practitioners with electric batons all took place here.

After Chinese New Year's Day 2002, policemen from the Second Production Brigade started to have inmates read books and newspapers to practitioners every day. They were all documents that slandered Falun Dafa (this situation continues). All Falun Gong practitioners were really disgusted, and subsequently put up a resistance. As a result, a number of practitioners were beaten and "strictly disciplined" from February to August 2002. In March 2002, Falun Gong practitioners living on the second floor who had written "guarantee" letters collectively declared their previous statements null and void. Because of this, police officer Ma Yong was removed from his position as the leader of the Second Production Brigade. Another police officer, Han Lihua, took over Ma's job. In February 2002, Liu Xin was transferred out of the brigade. Later, Cai Yongjie, Tang Guoxin and Wang Jianguo came to the Second Production Brigade. After the "collective declaration" incident, the Forced Labor Camp gradually added about twenty more inmates.

On August 26, 2002, Falun Gong practitioners on the third floor were dragged to the first floor, one by one, by the police officers. Afterwards, one could hear the cracking sound of electric batons shocking people. The Second Production Brigade's policeman Feng Zibin said, "The province held a telephone conference: now we are acting in unison to forcefully transform you all." The labor camp then began a frenzied persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

The policemen set up two torture rooms in the dark north corner of the first floor. The torture was carried out under the direction of Zhang Haiping (the Forced Labor Camp's Political Secretary), Jin Fuli (Vice Chief) and Chen Ligang. Police officer Zhang Haiping came to the Second Production Brigade almost every night during September. The officials gave orders and quotas to every policeman. They promised extra bonuses and free meals. Those classes in which Falun Gong practitioners wrote "guarantee" letters got more money; every "transformed" practitioner was worth a certain amount. The inmates also received reduced sentences.

Under the leadership of Zhang Haiping, Jin Fuli and Chen Ligang, policemen and inmates worked really hard. Feng Zibin, Li Songtao, Zhang Jiabin, Yang Tinglun, Yan Guoasheng, Zhang Chunfeng, Wang Jianguo and Cai Yongjie became the main henchmen of the persecution. Yang Tinglun and Zhang Chunfeng became assistant leaders of the brigade.

Inside the torture rooms, steadfast Falun Gong practitioners were forced to wear safety helmets and handcuffed; then they were blocked in a corner in the standing position by a diagonally placed desk. Two policemen and one inmate made up each team; the policemen switched shifts every three hours, and the inmates every six hours. Practitioners were forced to watch TV programs that slandered Dafa, and to stand for long periods of time. They weren't allowed to sleep, or even to drop their heads or close their eyes. Inmates would stand in front of the desk, holding a bed board or an electric baton; they would hit or shock the practitioners if they dropped their heads or closed their eyes. Both inmates and policemen participated. They would do this to practitioners for twenty-four hours, then forty-eight hours, then seventy-two hours. If practitioners couldn't take it any more, the teams would start beating them severely. The teams would also shock the practitioners on the head, neck, chest, back, stomach region, and genitalia -- all over the body. It was non-stop persecution.

This is the torture room where they persecuted practitioners. Practitioners were cornered by a desk, on top of which were a TV and some VCDs, and the inmates would stand in front of the desk. Policemen would sometimes sit in the chair, sometimes sit on the table; they would ask some questions, curse some, and hit practitioners. If this method didn't work, they would handcuff practitioners to a metal chair, and use the same method of persecution as described above, only this time they used the electric baton more often.

Brief description of the torture cases:

Zhang Baoshi, male, 46 years old, is a worker at the Jinzhou City Jincheng Paper Factory. He was forced to stand for four days and four nights. He was also handcuffed to the heating pipes while being shocked by four electric batons at the same time. To prevent him from yelling, the officers covered his mouth. When Zhang Baoshi came back from the first floor, his face was misshapen, and his body smelled of burning flesh.

Li Zhongjie, male, 41years old, is a local resident of Jinzhou City. He was hung from a metal chair in many positions; often from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.. At night, he was handcuffed to a bed. Because he was hung in a sitting position, his buttocks developed ulcers that oozed blood and pus. Li Zhongjie was tortured many times by Han Lihua, Li Songtao, Feng Zibin, Yan Guosheng, Yang Tinglun, Han Jianjun, Zhang Chunfeng and Zhao Yongli. One time he was not allowed to sleep for five days and four nights. On March 31, 2003, policeman Feng Zibin brought Li Zhongjie to a room on the second floor and instigated inmates Ma Qingjiu, Shen Chuang, Jiao Zhihua, An Qingzhong and Guo Weibin to beat Li for as long as one hour. They used bed boards, and hammered Li with handcuffs; Li's head had big lumps, his lips were torn, and he had wounds all over his body. Eventually, Li Zhongjie's left thumb was burned black by Ma Qingjiu using a cigarette lighter.

Hu Fengkui, male, 63 years old, lived in Liuhuanan Alley in Jinzhou City. Han Lihua, Feng Zibin, Zhang Chunfeng, Li Songtao, Zhang Jiabin, Yang Tinglun and Mu Jinsheng and other policemen handcuffed the old man to the pipes and tortured him. In March 2003, Hu Fengkui couldn't tolerate the treatment and complained. Police officer Yan Guosheng said to Hu ferociously, "The chief said that as long as we don't beat you to death, it's OK to beat you until you are a cripple." In October, Hu was further shocked by Zhang Jiabin.

Huo Yinshan, male, 47 years old, is a farmer from Yuji Town, Linhua City. While in the torture room on the first floor, Huo Yinshan was forced to put on a safety helmet, both of his hands were handcuffed behind his back, and then he was forced to stand behind a desk in the corner of the room. He was not allowed to close his eyes or sleep. He was shocked by multiple electric batons used simultaneously. In March 2003, Huo Yinshan was brought to the first floor by police officer Li Songtao. Li tied Huo's legs in a crossed position, and then hung him. Li Songtao, Zhang Chunfeng, Zhang Jiabing, Yang Tinglun then stomped on Huo's legs. Huo almost passed out.

On October 17, 2002, eight practitioners including Qiu Wentao, Tong Xin and Cao Lihong, wrote an article entitled "Do not use violence on practitioners." Police officers Feng Zibin and Yang Tinglun brought Qiu Wentao and Cao Lihong to the "Strict Discipline" team, beat them, and then ordered inmates to beat them. The two practitioners were taken back two days later. Qiu Wentao was over 60 years old; due to the beating, he coughed for more than half a year. If the Forced Labor Camp's persecution of practitioners in 2001 was behind the scenes, then the persecution in 2002 was completely public. The cracking sound of electric batons came from the first floor continuously, and policemen walked in the hallways of second and third floors, yelling and cursing at practitioners.

A record of the police officer's phrases:

Yang Tinglun: "We are here to wear you down."

Mu Jinsheng: "We knead people until they are ripe."

Wang Jianguo: "Who doesn't submit? Go down to the first floor!"

Yan Guosheng: "Chief (Zhang Haiping) said, 'as long as we don't beat you to death, it's OK to beat you until you are a cripple.'"

Feng Zibin: "If you are not transformed, you will rot here."

Policemen talking amongst themselves: "We have tried in the past -- normal people can only withstand three days, after three days they might lose their nerve, so we fix them for three days and three nights, then take a break, and start again..."

Those who participated in the persecution of practitioners from August 2002 to April 30, 2003:

Zhang Haiping, Jin Fuli, Chen Ligang, Han Lihua, Feng Zibin, Li Songtao, Yang Tinglun, Zhang Jiabin, Yan Guosheng, Wang Jianguo, Han Jianjun, Zhang Chunfeng, Cai Yongjie, Mu Jinsheng, Mu Huaisheng, Han Guangxian, Zhao Yongli, Gao Wenchang, Zhou Jiyao

List of names of participating inmates:

Guo Weibin, Wang Lei, Shen Chuang, Su Yunjin, Meng Fanyong, Shen Yuqing, Li Zhongxin, Mu Shuangjiu, Wang Xiouliang, Wang Jing, Gong Fuxiang, An Qingzhong, Zhang Huidong, Jiao Zhihua, Yi Jiemian.

List of names of practitioners who were persecuted:

Wang Yuquan, Tao Meng, Fang Ye, Zhang Baoshi, Liu Changping, Cai Yubo, Liu Yongsheng, Shi Zhongyan, Liu Cheng, Qiu Wentao, Huo Yinshan, Cao Lihong, Li Yong, Wang Lixin, Na Quanjie, Tong Xin, Yi Qun, Li Hanbao, Wang Chaozhi, He Shangqin, Zhao Bofeng, Zuo Zhongyou, Zhang Yuan, Shi Bao Dong, Shi Changqing, Zhang Pengyun, Feng Yungang, Hu Fenggui, Wang Zhoushang, Wang Guiling, Zhang Xudong, Liang Gang, Guo Zhongmin, Guo Wei, Wei Liguo, etc.

From December 2002 to January 2003, policemen from all over went to the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp. Zhang Haiping, Li Songtao, Zhang Chunfeng, Wang Jianguo and Yang Tinglun also went to Masanjia to persecute practitioners. They returned after twenty days.

Because "transformed" practitioners had not truly had a change of heart , many of them declared their "guarantee" letters null and void very soon after. Policemen would take these practitioners downstairs for further persecution. In March 2003, because practitioner Wang Guilin resisted the persecution and escaped while in the hospital, police officer Han Lihua was removed from his post and transferred out of the Second Production Brigade. Another policeman, Feng Zibin, took over, temporarily, as the brigade leader.

On March 4, 2003, the Second Production Brigade established two rooms on the second floor, number 6 and 7, as "Strict Discipline" rooms. At the same time they prepared one room on the first floor for beating practitioners. At the instigation of the police officers, inmates would beat up those practitioners who had declared their "guarantee" letters null and void.

On April 26, 2003, practitioner Shi Zhongyan was persecuted to death at the Forced Labor Camp. For details please see related articles on Clearwisdom. http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/5/2/35174.html

On April 30, 2003, the Second Production Brigade was moved from the third floor to the Forced Labor Camp's big yard. This marked a temporary end to this eight-month long persecution.

On May 1, 2003, Bai Jinlong took over as the brigade leader. In July 2003, Falun Gong practitioner Liu Yongsheng escaped from the hospital; as a result, officer Feng Zibin was removed from his post as the instructor and was banished to another brigade, he was also fined 50,000 yuan.

On December 5, 2003, officers Li Houyu, Li Songtao, Zhang Chunfeng, Zhou Jiyao, Han Jianjun again went to the Masanjia Forced Labor Camp, bringing with them tools of torture (handcuffs, electric batons, safety helmets). On December 26 (after 21 days) they returned. Each of them received 300 yuan as a bonus. According to the policemen, they saw Wang Suyong (a Dafa practitioner and former policewoman at the Jinzhou Forced Labor Camp) at Masanjia, but didn't touch her. We could tell from their speech that they went to Masanjia to persecute their fellow-townsmen from Jinzhou.

The persecution that was started by Jiang Zemin is still going on. Some lawless people continue to do harmful things without regard for their fellow human beings. We hereby tell these people: Your criminal acts have been reported and recorded (www.fawanghuihui.org) and one day you will be brought to justice and to legal punishment. Jiang Zemin and his officers are being sued in many countries; what's waiting for them is a lawful judgment. At that time you also will not escape. Halt your evildoing at once and stop all persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Treat them with respect and kindness, and make up for what you have done in the past.
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/5/6/73983.html

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