Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group

Mr. Zhang Beiqi is currently being detained in the No. 4 brigade, second unit of Yinmahe Forced Labor Camp. On March 19, 2002, officers Zhang Xin, Guo Yiping, and Zhang Mingcai savagely tortured him. Mr. Zhang wrote down facts about the persecution he endured at the labor camp and appealed to the court. When the officers found out about this, they summoned him to the office. Policemen Zhang Xin and Guo Yiping each used an electric baton to hit Mr. Zhang on his head and face. They stripped off his clothes and started shocking him all over his body. Mr. Zhang was in such pain that he rolled around on the floor. They handcuffed his hands to the heating pipes and beat him.

On April 2, 2002, policemen Zhang Xin and Zhou Kaiming requested that Mr. Dong Xue denounce his practice of Falun Gong. When he refused, the police forcefully stripped off Dong’s clothes, then shocked and beat him with electric batons for over one hour. His nose was bleeding from the beating and his blood was spattered all over the floor. His body was covered with cuts and wounds and his face was badly deformed. Dong stated that he would appeal to the higher court after his release. The policeman Zhou said that their actions were supported by the central government.

Mr. Lin Xianchen is a resident of Jiutai City, Jilin Province. He is currently being detained at the No. 4 brigade, unit 3. Mr. Chen Peizhong is from Helong County, Jilin Province. On September 7, 2002, at a work site, policeman Zhou Kaiming violently struck Mr. Lin with a plastic tube that was over a meter long because he did not want to give up Falun Gong. Cuts, wounds, and more than 30 bloody marks covered Mr. Lin’s body. The next day, Zhou used the same vicious method to torture Mr. Chen.

On April 11, 2002, the No. 4 brigade ordered another round of torment and punishment for those practitioners who would not renounce Falun Gong. Every day, they were each forced to sit on a stool[1] for over 14 hours, with only two minutes for a restroom break. Anything that does not conform to the brigade leaders’ wishes results in a beating. Some practitioners are not allowed to change the clothes they have been wearing for almost three months. They are not allowed any visits from family or friends.

Practitioner Mr. Qiao Jianguo is from Zhucheng City, Shandong Province. He is currently being detained at Yinmahe Labor Camp No. 4 brigade, unit 2. Mr. Huang Yuedong is detained in the camp’s No. 1 brigade.

On April 5, 2002, Mr. Qiao was taken to a small room on the second floor of one of the camp’s buildings. Inside the room, there were only one bed, five or six electric batons, and some electric needles. The room has a chilling effect on people. Mr. Qiao saw a practitioner, Mr. Huang on the bed. Mr. Huang’s four limbs were stretched out and tied to the corners of the bed. There was nothing on the bed but a wooden board under his neck. Apparently, Mr. Huang had been tied up for a long time. The police were using electric batons to shock him and sensitive parts of his body.

Several policemen came and ripped off Mr. Qiao’s clothes and pinned him to the ground. Both of his feet and arms were pressed to the floor. One policeman held his head down, Mr. Qiao’s mouth was stuffed with a dirty rag. They made four cuts on the opening of a rigid plastic tube to give it a very sharp and jagged edge, and pressed it against Mr. Qiao’s body, twisting as they applied pressure, boring it into his flesh under the armpits and on his inner thighs. The pain from this unthinkable torture made Mr. Qiao scream.

Then they used the same torture method on Mr. Huang on the bed. He had received this torture twice before. There were four bloody holes on his body. The ones under his armpits were about the size of a fist. The wounds took several months to recover.

Practitioner Mr. Wu Dexiu, was also subjected to this torture for not giving up Falun Gong. Another person was not only “drilled,” but also had his eyes smeared with toothpaste (which burns painfully), and even his tongue was injured. He has suffered tremendously. These practitioners were all from the No. 1 brigade.

[1] “Sitting on the cold stool” is a torture method. Practitioners are forced to sit on a small iron stool that is approximately 20 cm (6 inches) tall with their knees tied together. With their hands tied behind their backs or sometimes placed on their knees, they are forced to sit straight up and look straight ahead. They are not allowed to turn their heads, close their eyes, talk to anyone, or move at all. Several inmates are assigned to watch over the practitioners and force them to remain motionless while sitting on the stool. Usually some hard objects are inserted underneath the practitioners’ lower legs or ankles to make it harder for them to tolerate this abuse.