(Clearwisdom.net) Since 1999, Falun Gong practitioners have been detained and persecuted in the Sichuan Provincial Women's Labor Camp. Team leaders Zhang Xiaofang and Li Qi have tortured practitioners physically and abuse them mentally, and they directed other inmates to torture practitioners. The inmates were given the incentive of having their terms reduced by 20 days if they were able to force five practitioners to give up their beliefs. Criminal inmates were put in charge of practitioners and used various means of torture. Their methods included brainwashing, physical torture, sleep deprivation, loss of bathroom privileges, working long hours (18 to 20 hours daily), hanging practitioners up in unnatural positions, tying them up with rope, force-feeding them with saltwater solutions, forcing them to drink their urine, putting human excrement under their pillows, pinching their nipples, stabbing their genitals and forcing them to sleep on wet bedding.

Some practitioners were tortured until they experienced a mental breakdown. Others suffered physical harm because they were not allowed to use the toilet for 24-hour periods, and some were hospitalized due to the abuse, having to spend 3,000 to 7,000 yuan for medical expenses. Ye Peiqi, a practitioner from Leshan City, could not endure the torture and tried to escape. She was caught and dozens of inmates beat her from head to toe with metal clothes hangers. Her whole body was covered with cuts and bruises.

Practitioner Yang Shaopei refused to defame Falun Gong and was physically tortured over the course of the year. Her body was constantly covered with bruises. Once they covered her head with a toilet bowl, wrapped her body with a quilt soaked with urine and excrement, and locked her in the restroom for half a day.

Practitioner Tong Guiqi was tortured so severely that she had a mental collapse. She screamed constantly.

Practitioner Lu Yanfei refused to give up her beliefs and protested the inhuman treatment by refusing to do forced labor. One of the criminal inmates from Ziyang City, Ling Yan, took charge of her for nearly a year. Ling beat her more than ten times, cut off all her hair, tore off her clothes and tortured her while she was naked. Ms. Lu protested by going on a hunger strike several times.

Ms. Lu did not give in and and kept exposing the persecution in the labor camp. She was beaten by over 50 people at least five times in retaliation. Once, team leader Li Qi punched and kicked Ms. Lu in front of seven other inmates, which caused Ms. Lu's nose to bleed. Li told Ling to take off all of Ms. Lu's clothes and to force her into an extremely uncomfortable position by hanging her up. They put an irritant into her eyes, poured cold water on her head and put hot pepper on her wounds. In this manner, they continued to torture her throughout the night. Li was later promoted. When Ms. Lu filed a lawsuit against Li, Li apologized to her. The judge indicated that Li would be punished. This caused the persecution in the labor camp to be somewhat less severe, although the camp personnel still tried to force practitioners to give up their belief through various means.