[Clearwisdom.net] Beipei district in the city of Chongqing is to the location of the Xishanping Men's Labor Reeducation Center. More than 70 Dafa practitioners have been sent to this place for "reeducation" since January 1999. During this year, Jiang Zemin's accomplices have perpetrated every possible atrocious cruelty against practitioners. Many touching stories about the heroic acts of practitioners safeguarding Dafa and clarifying the truth to people have been shared.
Tied up by coir rope
The government had banned coir ropes (made with the very rough and grating fiber obtained from the husk of a coconut) several years ago. It was used as a tool of punishment against escaped prisoners under labor reeducation and rehabilitation. Yet in this place it was still readily used. At the "Severe Discipline" section in Xishanping many practitioners have been tied up by coir. A good number of them ended up with both hands permanently impaired. Some practitioners experienced this inhumane treatment multiple times.
Locked up in a water dungeon
"Leifengta" at the "Severe Discipline" section is a famous water dungeon. It was dark all year long. There was neither natural nor electric light. Standing water and human waste accumulated several inches deep inside the dungeon. To make it more frightful , many dead rats and snakes were tossed in. Because of his insistence in practicing Dafa, Kang Hong, a practitioner from Jiangbei district, was handcuffed and hung from the steel door inside for 3 days and nights. The skin festered all over his body. When he got out he was shaking all over.
Han Yiming from Xishi in Beipei district was locked up for more than 10 days in this frightful dungeon. Liao Lianhai from Qijiang also received the same treatment.
Wanton Physical abuse
To implement the "transformation," ruffians subjected practitioners in the 11th group to harsh physical punishment. It was a 5km run right after getting up at 5:30am. If you could do 5km, then they would force you to do 10km next time. After breakfast it was 'standing at attention' military style. Pieces of paper were inserted between hands and thigh, between elbow and body, and between legs. If a piece of paper slipped down then it would be considered grounds for additional punishment. They would force practitioners to bow 90 degrees with both hands over the head, for anywhere between 1 to 3 hours. After standing it would be push-ups. A 200-300 round of push-ups was mandatory. In the afternoon they would do frog style jumping and duck style walking. Distance was about a 10-basketball court length, roundtrip. Were more time available, additional ways of punishment would be added. There were no exceptions for any Dafa practitioners regardless of their age (the oldest was about 60 years old). After dinner there was another round of standing punishment until midnight.
Forced brainwashing
Loudspeakers would blast at any group in Xishanping center with practitioners. They repeatedly play programs slandering Dafa. Guards would force practitioners to watch video programs designed to 'transform' them. Refusal to view one would invite immediate punishment, solitary confinement in tight cells, shackling, and beating.
Stripped of freedom
In Xishanping, all privileges granted for regular detainees were denied to Dafa practitioners. The rules were that all pens and paper would be confiscated from practitioners so that they could not write letters to the outside world. No telephone calls by practitioners were allowed. All letters addressed to Dafa practitioners would be subject to censorship. Any letter containing news pertaining to Dafa would be impounded. A letter that did not contain information beneficial to the "transformation" would be seized. On the other hand, letters that were favorable to "transformation" would be announced in front of everybody. Dafa practitioners were not allowed visitation by their relatives, except those who had signed pledges to give up Falun Gong. The Center would not release practitioners who didn't submit to transformation, even if their terms were up! Excuses would be made to prolong their detention period by adding another 6-7 months.
Xishanping also used some inmates to help put Dafa practitioners under 24 hours of surveillance and harassment. Each practitioner was assigned 1-2 inmates who would perform monitoring and supervision. The Center would promise these inmates "reduced terms", "extra evening snacks" or other enticements and perks. The monitoring went on for 24 hours a day. Assigned inmates followed Dafa practitioners during mealtime, washing, brushing teeth, and even going to the restroom. The guards would punish these inmates at the slightest oversight on their part. Through such tactics the Center tried to stir up hatred against Dafa practitioners by inmates, thus fulfilling the objective of limiting practitioners' freedom and well being. Many inmates would make up reports against their conscience to earn favors from the Center cadres. Some of them even resorted to cursing and beating practitioners at will with the tacit consent of officials.
The conduct of Dafa practitioners
Ever since Xishanping became a detention center of Dafa practitioners, their striving for the legal right, the freedom to study Fa, the right to practice and their effort to clarify the truth to people has never stopped.
Dafa practitioners gauge their conduct with the standard of a cultivator. At any available opportunity, they would explain to their fellow inmates and center officials that Falun Dafa is for cultivation, a cultivation based on the highest characteristics in the cosmos: "Truthfulness, Benevolence, Forbearance." Dafa is the righteous law. Thus many deputies and cadres who did not have the proper understanding of Dafa changed their perception afterwards. Some people who used to behave badly received the Fa. Some officials even read "Zhuan Falun" in its entirety at home. Some of these people who understood the reasons behind the persecution no longer wanted to be part of this hideous operation. They started to passively resist the orders from their superiors. Some inmates even stated that once they were released from the center they would speak out and tell the outside people about the despicable treatment and torture received by Dafa practitioners in Xishanping, while maintaining their compassion towards people and their determination to safeguard Dafa as a tight knit group.
Dafa practitioners in the 11th group went on a group hunger strike twice after receiving the harsh physical abuse. Despite being beaten with stun batons, they did group practice several times on the training ground under the flagpole. Their actions forced the wicked officials to temporarily suspend the severe physical punishment.
Practitioners in the "Severe Discipline" section carried out numerous group and personal practices, and group hunger strikes. Faced with the electric stun batons, guard ropes, solitary confinement, handcuffs, and forced feeding, they showed no fear. They safeguarded Dafa with their lives and blood.
Practitioners who signed pledges all rescinded them later on. They declared in writing that all previously signed warrants were invalid and demanded their withdrawal. They also wished that other Dafa practitioners would never repeat the same mistake and to avoid the detour so their cultivation would be unstained.
Under such an environment in the center, practitioners persisted in their effort to study the Fa and practice. Everyday they resolutely recited the Fa in their heart. They copy the Fa, practicing all five sets of exercises at any available opportunities. They steadfastly cultivate their Xinxing, silently endured all adversities, quietly waiting for other Dafa practitioners to boldly step forward. They look for the day when evil such as this would be eliminated and cultivation would reach consummation so that all of us could return home with Teacher! ...
Practitioners in Mainland China
January 14, 2001