(Clearwisdom.net) Chinese forced labor camps have visited upon Falun Dafa practitioners many different brutal torture methods in an effort to have them renounce their belief in Falun Dafa. We are illustrating below 18 torture methods that have been used on practitioners in Zhangshi Forced Labor Camp, Shenyang City.

The following methods are discussed below: 1. Electric Shock. 2. Sleep Deprivation. 3. Beatings. 4. Food Deprivation. 5. Freezing. 6. Heat Treatment. 7. Sitting on Hard Materials for a Long Time. 8. Squatting. 9. Compressed Sitting. 10. Squeezing. 11. Binding. 12. Keeping Dirty. 13. Limit Toilet Use. 14. Reciting Humiliating Words. 15. Extorting Money. 16. Stealing. 17. Forcing to Write Detailed Reports. 18. Hard Labor.

1. Electric Shock: Guards Shock Practitioners with High Voltage Electric Batons

In early 2001, at the new comer's brigade, guard Cao shocked 71-year-old practitioner Mr. Song Jiuzhen from Heping District with an electric baton.

On April 25, 2002, practitioners Mr. Li Xiaoyuan (48 years old from Huanggu District) and Mr. Chen Song (32, Huanggu District), Mr. Wang Jinming (45, Tiexi District), Mr. Zhang Zhenwu (37, Dadong District), Mr. Li Manxin (38, from Kangping County) and others resisted the persecution by refusing to wear the jail uniform and do hard labor. Chen Diankun, head of the Zhangshi Forced Labor Camp, ordered the fourth brigade to organize a special group headed by police brigade leader Yang Shu to maltreat these practitioners. They selected over ten criminals (Chai Binxin, Li Bo, Zhang Bin, Wang Weibin, Lin Yongle, Pu Zhenjiang, and others) and ordered Wang Boyu to lead the group. They turned room 401 into a torture room. They openly declared that anyone who entered room 401 would either die or have layers of skin peeled of his/her body.

Yang Shu and other criminals beat Wang Jinming and Li Xiaoyuan and shocked them with 120-watt electric batons. After 4 days of torture, Li and Wang's bodies were swollen and they no longer could walk unassisted. Li Xiaoyuan had to use a special chair when using a bathroom.

On April 30, 2002 at around 10 p.m., the guards cruelly persecuted practitioners. Guard Guan Feng, the camp head assistant shocked practitioner Li Yingjun (31, Huanggu District) with two electric batons, which caused blisters around Li's ear.

In the afternoon on May 3, 2002, guard Song Baishun shocked Wang Shuang's face and mouth and caused many burns, blisters and swelling of the face. Wang Shuang is 34 years old from Dadong District. On May 7, director of the Third Brigade Gao Guangchen, brigade head Wang Yong, group leader Zhang Hongda, and Guanfeng, including several criminals, stripped practitioners Zhang Hongda and Chen Song, handcuffed their hands to their backs, and shocked them with over 20 electric batons for an entire morning. On May 9, practitioner Li Manxin was also shocked.

In the afternoon of August 3, 2002, Song Baishun and brigade head Chen Wei shocked practitioner Zhang Guoyi (46, Liaozhong County) with four electric batons, which resulted in large burns around Zhang's mouth and entire body.

 

At the end of December 2003, Song Baishun, brigade head Chen Wei, guards Wei Maojin, Teng Fuxun, Fan Guangjin, and Ma Zhigang stripped practitioners Jiao Guolian (47, Yuhong District), Wang Yongli (37, Xinchengzi District), Cai Wenzhang (40, Donglin District), Guo Dianhui (34, Tiexi District), Lu Yuanfeng (52, Yuhong District), Zhu Hongjun (36, Faku District), Wu Chongfeng (34, Xinchengzi District), Wei Changchun (47, Shenhe District), Li Tiekun (about 37) and others in the Zhangshi Small Building. They handcuffed and bound them to the handrails of beds, then simultaneously shocked them around their mouth, armpit, chest and back with four to five electric batons.

In April 2004, guards Chen Diankun, Guan Feng, Zhang Yi, and Shi Fengyou ordered practitioners Mr. Lu Yuanfeng, Mr. Guo Dianhui, Mr.Qi Like (34, Kangping district), Du Anli (45, Heping District), Yang Zhongyou (in her 50s, Dadong District), Liu Pengling (in her 50s, from Liaoyang City) to be shocked with electric batons in the Zhangshi Legal Education School (brainwashing center). This resulted in large burns to their mouths, armpits, chests, thighs, backs, etc. Du Anli's mouth became deformed and swollen after being shocked. Other practitioners who were shocked include Wang Shungeng (Tiexi District) and Zhang Jiaan (from Haicheng City). They were detained at the 2^nd brigade.

In Mid-June, 2004, Feng Enqi's (58, Sujiatun District, Shengyang City) face, chest, and ribs were shocked with electric batons. They were at the Zhangshi Brainwashing Center.

2. Sleep Deprivation: No Sleep Allowed for Extended Periods of Time

Almost all determined practitioners suffered this torture in the Zhangshi Forced Labor Camp.

In early 2001, practitioner Du Jiang (32, Dadong District) was forced by the brigade staff to squat down in rooms 3 and 5. This brigade actively persecutes practitioners. Du was not allowed sleep for about 10 days. Practitioner Zhang Guiyi was deprived of sleep for 7 days and nights.

In the Spring of 2002, seventy-two year old Qu Fuyu from Tiexi District was in a close to 20-day brainwashing session. They allowed him to sleep only three to four hours a day.

Between April 31 and the end of May 2002, Mr. Teng Yuguo (in his 50s, Dongling District) was forced to sit on a small stool in room 5. He was not allowed sleep for over 20 days. Criminals took shifts to monitor him.

In July 2002, Dong Yiran (39, Huanggu District) was deprived of sleep for one month and held in room 4 and 7. Ms. Ma Wenping (in her 50s, Tiexi District) was not allowed to sleep for a week. Mr. Wang Liren (49, Dadong District) was deprived of sleep for over ten days.

This torture was hard on practitioners. They all looked worn out and exhausted. Mr. Xu Changguang (in his 60s, Huanggu District) was not allowed to sleep for about one month. He fell off a stool.

3. Beatings: Police and Accomplices Beat Practitioners

In early 2001, practitioner Mr. Luo Hongcai (22, a student from Northeast University) was cruelly beaten. His face was severely swollen.

In August 2001, on the second floor of the Tiexie District Mental Hospital (the location of the brainwashing session), guard Shi Fengyou hit practitioner Mr. Hu Lin's (32, Huanggu District) with a stack of three plates until the plates were broken. His accomplices punched Hu Lin's head, pushed him to the ground, pulled and twisted his body, and kicked his armpits.

In the summer of 2001, over ten thugs, coerced by guards, pushed Mr. Wang Weichuang (23, from Liaozhong County) to the ground. One thug jumped up and used his knees to knock Wang over. Mr. Wang's head hit the concrete floor heavily.

In late October 2002, at the brigade office Song Baishun forced Mr. Cai Wenzhang to squat down, then kicked Cai's face with leather shoes, which caused Cai's eyes to be bruised.

One evening, around December 15, 2002, in the on-duty office, guards Liu Hongtao and others shocked practitioner Du Jiang with an electric baton and beat him for several hours. Du's head to bled profusely and required over ten stitches.

On March 9, 2004, in the "focus group" on the first floor, guard Shi Fengyou kicked practitioner Mr. Jiao Guolian's head. Two of Jiao's front teeth were immediately knocked out and two others fell out a little while later. Jiao's face was bleeding. Section head Guan, in his 30s, witnessed the scene.

4. Food Deprivation

In the new comer's brigade, which is overseen by the Shenyang City Legal Bureau, guards secretly ordered the cell head to starve practitioners. He told them to give practitioners only a small piece of corn bread for each meal and a small bowl of vegetable soup. The so-called left-over bread and soup were tossed into the toilet. The food for those who did not meet their quota was rationed or at times they were deprived of food. Du Jiang, who was detained in the 1st Brigade since winter of 2001 was given only half a piece of small bread for a meal. In May 2001, practitioners Mr. Zhen Shoujun, Mr. Zhang Zhenwu, Mr. Zhang Guoyi, Mr. Li Hongsheng and Mr. Wang Feizhou (a teacher from Liaoning University in Dadong District) were sent to this particular brigade for crueler persecution. Each of them was given small bread only at each meal.

5. Freezing

At the new comer's brigade, practitioners are not allowed blankets in winter. They were allowed to wear only thin clothes and given only a worn-out felt blanket. The fan was kept on all night. Practitioners were shivering and it was difficult to fall asleep.

In winter 2002, Song Baishun locked practitioners Zhang Guiyi, Zhang Zhenwu and Chen Song into room 7, which was a storage room. The temperature in winter was below zero (Celsius). It was about 200 to 300 square meters in circumference. The walls and windows were covered with thick frost on three sides. Practitioners were forced to stand up facing the walls until 2 a.m. Other practitioners detained there include Mr. Li Manxin, Zhang Pai, Lu Yansong, and Liu Yan.

6. Heat Treatment

During the heat of summer, several hundred practitioners are detained in the newcomers' brigade. These practitioners are forced into a "compressed sitting." Practitioners sit with the chest tightly against the back of the next person, and with the eyes looking at the back of the other person's head. They are forced to form a chain. They had to sit like that for 6 to 8 hours, with windows and doors closed. Everyone was soaked in sweat. Even breathing became very hard.

In a room of just around ten square meters (a little more than 100 square feet), 6 bunk-beds are installed. Practitioners who are being brainwashed are forced to sit or squat down. Over ten camp staff members surround and attempt to brainwash them. During the heat of summer, this becomes unbearable. Many practitioners suffered from scabies or eczema.

7. Sitting on Hard Materials for a Long Time

At the newcomers' brigade, room 1 is under strict supervision. Practitioners were forced to get up at 6 a.m. and allowed to sleep not before midnight. When there is work to be finished in room 2 or 3, the sitting may be extended to 2 a.m., 3 a.m. or through the entire night. During holidays, such as May 1 or October 1, practitioners from around the camp were forced to also do "compressed sitting."

In the newcomers' brigade, during brainwashing sessions, when watching videos that slander Falun Gong or reading materials that defame Falun Gong, they were forced to sit on small stools (25x20x17cm) which were made of hard plastic. Sitting on the stools for a long time causes the buttocks to bruise, blister and become infected.

8. Forced Squatting

During brainwashing, practitioners were forced to squat down. Sometimes the squatting was limited to the area of a brick, sometimes Chinese chess pieces were inserted in between the lower leg and thigh to make it more painful. Or they were forced to squat down on a floor full of pins. Evil officers also put Falun Dafa founder's picture on the ground and forced practitioners to step on the picture.

In early 2001, Du Jiang was forced to squat down for about ten days, which caused his feet to swell. He could not wear shoes and could walk only with the support of others. Practitioners Mr. Wang Jinming, Mr. Zhen Shoujun, Mr. Zhang Guoyi and Mr. Yan Hongwei all suffered from having to squat for a long time.

9. Compressed Sitting

1) Chain Sitting

In this style, one's chest is tightly against the back of the person in front of them. The eyes have to focus on the front persons head, and the legs have to be spread apart. They have to sit like this for 6 to 8 hours. To make it more uncomfortable, the guards push against the back of the last person to make the chain tighter. During holidays, guards use this method to force practitioners to inform on each other.

2) Flying Swallow Style

In this method, the first one in the chain bends down with his head and touches a wall. Both legs are apart and the heels are off the ground. The two arms are raised up behind the back. The next one has to sit in a similar position, but his head is between the first one's legs. This position would be maintained for about half an hour until the first one could no longer bear the pain. Since all the weight are on the toes, the first one's head takes the heaviest load. If guards think someone's position is not good enough, they would shock him/her with electric batons or kick him/her. In early March 2001, practitioners Mr. Zhen Shoujun, Mr. Dang Zhiwei, Mr. Wang Jinshu, and Mr. Liu Zhongcai had to sit like that for half an hour.

 

10. Squeezing

In March 2001, the new comer's brigade detained over a hundred people and no more rooms were available. At night, all people had to sleep tightly against each other sidewise. The cell head would push people to squeeze them tighter. If one went to the bathroom, there would be no room available for him when he came back. Practitioner Mr. Jia Xitai from the Shenhe District was squeezed to the point that he cried and shouted, "I can't breathe."

11. Binding

At about 7:30 a.m. on September 27, 2001, on the 3^rd floor of the Zhangshi Small Building, encouraged by guard Cheng Diankun and Shi Fengyou, seven to eight brainwashers forced practitioner Mr. Zhen Shoujun underneath a table. They arranged Zhen's legs in the following manner: four people pushed Zhen's feet into a 30-degree angle. Others pressed Zhen's neck down, bound the neck and torso together. Then they pressed Zhen's back down until it was parallel to the legs. The neck was now in line with the ankles, and they bound the feet and neck together with a sheet. Then they pulled Zhen's arms to his back and bound them together. This torture lasted four hours. After the torture ended, Zhen's feet were swollen and turned to an upward position, so his ankles touched the ground. He could no longer walk unsupported.

In late December 2002, in room 9 on the third floor of the Zhangshi Small Building, guards ordered Guan Feng, Shi Fengyou and four to five thugs to torture practitioner Liu Xianyong. They forced him into the "cross-legged" sitting meditation position and bound his feet together. At the same time, they twisted Liu's arms to his back, bound his hands together, pulled the hands up and tied the rope onto the bedrail. They stuffed Liu's mouth with tape to prevent him from screaming in pain. Such torture lasted for three hours each time, and would repeat 4 to 5 times a day. Liu Xianyong became sick, his feet swelled up and went numb. He could no longer walk without support. Liu Xianyong is 28 years old from Faku County.

Officers also applied this torture to female practitioners. Ms. Xia Wen (brought here after her release from Masanjia Forced Labor Camp), Ms. Zhang Jie (in her 50s, a business investigation officer from Dalian City), Ms. Wu Yanping (in her 40s, Dadong District), Ms. Qi Jinru from Kangping County, and Ms. Li Ailian (in her 30s, from Faku County) also suffered this torture. The 3^rd floor has 10 rooms, which were mostly used for brainwashing practitioners. Practitioners' painful screams where heard coming from these rooms, because they were beaten and tortured in there.

 

12. Keeping Dirty

Guards ordered cell heads to take away practitioners' towels, toothbrushes, etc. They no longer could brush their teeth or wash themselves. Because of the dirt practitioners were afflicted with lice and scabies.

When doing work, the hands became very dirty. But, they were not allowed to wash their hands before eating. Food was stored on the dirty ground. Dishes were washed in the bathroom. Sometimes around October 6, 2001, practitioner Chen Yang (24, from Liaozhong County) had diarrhea for several days.

Brigade leaders ordered brainwashers to not let firm practitioners wash and clean themselves, leaving them dirty all day long. Du Jiang who was sent to the criminal's 1^st Brigade in winter 2001 was afflicted with lice and had to shave off his body hair.

13. Limit Toilet Use

In the newcomers' brigade, practitioners were allowed to use the toilet only three times a day. Practitioners had to work or sit on stools all day long. Firm practitioners have only limited access to the toilet. Officers even declared: "How could you use the toilet if you do not give up Falun Gong?"

14. Reciting Humiliating Words

In early 2001, guards ordered 10 hatchet men to torture practitioner Mr. Liu Jianguang (53, Huanggu District). He had to squat down while wearing a tall sharp paper hat. Hatchet men shouted words defaming Falun Dafa into Liu's ears through paper loudspeakers, and humiliated Liu by combing his eyebrows and beard.

Whenever a practitioner gave up under cruel torture, guards would force other practitioners to line up and sing a "congratulations" song.

Group leaders forced practitioners to salute the cell head before talking, and announce themselves when entering a room. Before eating or sleeping, they forced practitioners to shout words like "be reformed quickly, be a new person again," and recite the detainees' rules. If practitioners did not cooperate, they would be shocked with electric batons or brutally beaten up.

15. Extorting Money

Practitioners detained at the Zhangshi Forced Labor Camp brainwashing center were forced to pay 3,000 yuan for a 20-day brainwashing class. If a practitioner did not renounce Falun Gong, he would be forced to attend a second term and pay another 3,000 yuan. Some relatives of practitioners tried to bribe guard Shi Fengyou with money or gifts, in the hope that Shi would treat their relatives better. Shi accepted the money and gifts, but continued to torture the practitioners brutally.

Practitioners who went on hunger strikes were force-fed cruelly. They were fed heavily salted corn porridge. They were forced to pay 50 to 100 yuan for each force-feeding. Some practitioners' families or employers sent money to bribe the guards. They hoped that the practitioner would be released ahead of time. But, the guards pocketed the money without doing anything. The camp also asked 3,000-yuan when they released practitioners. Others stole some of the food, daily items, and clothes that were sent by family members, but group leaders totally ignored this.

Group leaders not only extort money, but also use criminal detainees as slave labors. Detainees cook food, clean houses, iron clothes, or even do massages for group leaders.

 

16. Stealing

Prison management in the newcomers' brigade turned their eyes when guards and criminals stole practitioners' clothes, shoes or other items. Some practitioners went barefoot because all their belongings were stolen. In April 2004, practitioner Mr. Chen Song was detained at the second brigade with criminal detainees. He went on a hunger strike. Criminal detainees stole all his belongings.

17. Forcing to Write Detailed Reports

The Zhangshi Forced Labor Camp held many brainwashing sessions.

1) Re-education: new practitioners, were surrounded by a group of brainwashers and bombarded with brainwashing information. If he/she would still remain firm after about one week, guards would begin to punish him/her. They did not allow practitioners to sleep, forced them to squat and pushed their heads against a wall. If the practitioner remained firm, he/she would be tortured. Guards would shock practitioners with electric batons or torture them by any conceivable method. If one could no longer bear the pain, he/she would be forced to write the so-called four-letters (severance with Falun Gong, expressing regret for having practiced Falun Gong, exposing others), and accede to whatever guards asked of them.

2) Reinforced Brainwashing: Practitioners were brainwashed in groups. During the daytime, officers forced them to read or listen to materials, which defame or slander Falun Dafa and had them watch similar videos. At night they had to write so-called "thought reports." Brainwashers would check the reports. If the report was not to their liking, it had to be rewritten. Otherwise the practitioner would be more intensely brainwashed. Whenever CCTV or local TV stations were going to broadcast programs to slander Falun Dafa, the camp would be informed in advance. Practitioners were forced to watch theses programs and write reflective reports afterwards.

3) Advanced Brainwashing: After about one month of reinforcement, guards or brainwashers grouped those who they thought to be "a brainwashing success" and sent them to the "advanced session" for further brainwashing. During these brainwashing sessions the material was even more coarse and vulgar in its slander of Falun Gong. They then had to write monthly reports.

4) Forced to Brainwash Other Practitioners: After completing the "advanced brainwashing," the brainwashed practitioners were forced to brainwash other determined practitioners.

Practitioners who have written materials to defame Falun Dafa or who have informed on others feel very remorseful most of the time. They do not want to do this, but cannot continue to bear the high pressure, torture and associated pains. They give in. After being released, some of them feel sick whenever they hear the background music of CCTV's "Talks On Focus Points (Jiao-Dian-Fang-Tan)."

18. Hard Labor

From 2000 to this day, determined practitioners were forced into hard labor, as were the criminal detainees. Work includes: making boxes, wrapping chopsticks, making handicrafts such as plastic cucumbers and sweet potatoes, cutting grass, and planting flowers and vegetables. Some practitioners have made funeral products for export to Japan and South Korea in the newcomers' brigade. Everyone has to work overtime.

Fig.1. Workshop in the Zhangshi Camp. The left building is the 3^rd Criminal Brigade.

They produce chopsticks, toothpicks and other items. The right building was the 6^th criminal brigade. They produced braided steel wire nets. Now this building houses the 4^th brigade, and they produce plastic balls.

Daily work includes wrapping chopsticks (wooden or bamboo). Local restaurants and hotels in the Shenyang City use them.

The workplace is very dirty. To produce more, the camp management requires detainees with diseases to work. Even disabled or seriously sick criminals had to work. In 2001, one of the criminal detainee's in the third brigade was so overworked that he died one late night in a corridor while wrapping chopsticks.

One or two criminal detainees are generally assigned to tightly monitor a practitioner. Each day one practitioner has to finish 80 bags (one small bag contains 70 pairs of chopsticks, one large bag contains 12 small bags) of chopsticks. If one does not meet the quota, one would receive punishment, which might mean a beating. It is rumored that practitioner Du Anli resisted the persecution. He did the Falun Gong exercises in the workshop. Therefore, he was shocked by guards with electric batons.

Fig.2  Inserting pins into a rubber pad

"Inserting pins into a rubber pad" to make a comb. The Zhangshi Forced Labor Camp is the hidden production source for the Haiwei Decoration Product Company in Shenyang. They produce large quantities of combs for export to Japan, the US and European countries. Haiwei supplies materials and the final assembly. Zhangshi Camp produces the head of the comb and the shipment materials. Each practitioner is forced to finish 400 to 600 rubber pads or even more. The comb pins are made of hard plastics. Inserting pins for a long time hurts the hand, is very painful and one gets blisters.

Fig.4. Haiwei Decoration Product Company, 5 Fuxianhu St., Economic Development Zone

Every practitioner has to assemble 3,000 to 5,000 daily. The glues are poisonous and very irritating to nose and eyes. To produce more, practitioners are forced to work right after breakfast, and without a lunch break.

On April 25, 2002, to resist the inhuman persecution and slave labor, practitioners Mr. Li Xiaoyuan, Mr. Wang Jinming, Mr. Zhang Zhenwu, Mr. Chen Song, and Mr. Li Manxin refused to wear jail uniforms or perform slave labor. They were cruelly tortured. The first three were transferred to Guanshan Forced Labor Camp in Changtu. On November 9, 2003, Mr. Li Xiaoyuan was tortured to death in Guanshan Forced Labor Camp.

Practitioner Zhang Guoyi and Mr. Fan Xichen (detained in the 6^th brigade during late August 2002 to late January 2004) were forced to work every day, and often until midnight. The building now is the workshop for the 4^th brigade. They produce plastic balls, and the room is full of irritating smells.

February 8, 2005