(Clearwisdom.net)
My dearest family,
Greetings! It has been three years and all of you suffered different problems because of my illegal imprisonment and persecution. Because you could not understand why you had to suffer these problems and your mind was deceived by the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) lies, you were biased and hostile towards Falun Gong and me. But, because of your love for me, you could not just let me suffer in prison. How could I not understand the complicated sentiments!
Every time you visited, I had so many important things to tell you. Alas, the guards used cruel ways to stop me from telling you the truth. They feared that you would find out about their inhuman behavior. So many times I wanted to show all the people in the visitors room the ugly side of the guards, but I worried that the reaction by the guards would somehow hurt you. Also, I was afraid that you might worry after realizing what an inhuman environment I lived in.
I hope you would come to understand the truth of the persecution against Falun Gong and see clearly the CCP's evil nature. Therefore, I decided to expose the CCP's dishonesty, cruelty, and immorality through this letter. I want you to know how I was persecuted over the past three years. I know that this letter will pass through a lot of hands before you receive it. Therefore, please cherish the opportunity to hear the truth.
1. Almost Killed in the Third Brigade
On July 5, 2003, I was transferred to the 3rd brigade, also called the "wolf team." It is known for the extreme brutality one has to suffer in this place. I refused to follow the prison rules and thus suffered more intense persecution. I was forced to squat for 8 days. Though I refused to work, I still had to stay among the prisoners and was not allowed to sleep until 4 a.m. I had to comply with their rules if I wanted to write letters. One time when you came to visit, the guards forced me to squat down. I refused and the guards ordered prisoners to hold me down and cuffed me to a pipeline. They would not let me see you and told you that I didn't want to see you. During mealtime, Falun Gong practitioners would oftentimes not be given any food.
On December 1, 2003, the prison established a so-called anti-riot team, whose sole purpose was to brutally persecute steadfast practitioners - those who refused to renounce Falun Gong. The guards dragged us to a cold, windy place and cruelly beat us with rods and kicked us. After they were tired, they ordered prisoners to beat us. For this, they rewarded them with points that went toward reduced sentencing. They shocked my face with an electric baton; shaved my hair to above my ears; took away my warm clothes and shoes and left me wearing only underwear in the cold wind. They forbade me to sleep for 12 days and provided only a little food. If I closed my eyes, they hit me with strips of wood soaked in cold water. They forced me to sit on a 2-inch tall stool and remain still with my legs touching each other. They forced me to stand or sit in the cold wind during the harsh winter weather.
One day I fell asleep in the snow and I was near death. Nobody noticed it until two hours had passed, when the guards found me. They carried me to a nearby garage and started to massage my heart. Nothing worked. My pulse and blood pressure were abnormal and they were quite scared. They shouted at me. In the end, a prisoner warmed me with her body. After I woke up, I found that my upper lip was injured. I also tasted blood in my mouth. They still asked me whether I would "transform". I refused and they took away my clothes and threw me back in the snow.
Since that day, my heart occasionally stopped beating and my heart rate became irregular. The guards used all possible means to torture me, but to no avail. Finally, they no longer could stand the cold weather and ordered prisoners to torture me. The prisoners forced me to squat down time after time, tied clothes around my neck and dragged me around. I was suffocating, but they wouldn't stop dragging me around until I almost stopped breathing and my tongue hung out of my mouth. The guards were afraid that the prisoners would kill me and asked them to stop. The prisoners then pushed my head into the snow and I passed out.
After I woke up, I saw the captain of the 3rd brigade. I asked to see you, my family. I wanted to press charges against the guards who violate existing laws and order prisoners to commit crimes. If the prisoners dragged me just a little bit more, I would have been dead. The guards wouldn't let me see you because they feared that I would tell you the truth and the world outside would know how I was persecuted.
The guards would hide us if there were tour groups visiting the prison. Sometime they used tape to seal our mouths, fearing that we would get a chance to expose their crimes to the outside. They broke one of my legs and injured its nerves during a group visitation. I dragged my leg when walking because of the leg and heel injury and having to sit in the snow. Now, I am much better, because I do the exercises more often and my leg and heel recovered quickly.
2. Besides Physical Torture, The Guards Filled My Mouth with Feces
On March 2, 2004, they transferred me to the service team. In May the prison gave us unidentified injections. I refused and over ten prisoners held me down and injected me. Later, I squeezed the drug out of my flesh.
On June 23, 2004, they transferred me to the 9th prison ward, known as the "tiger team," a very cruel team. The minute I got there, they tried to "transform" me.
The guards wouldn't let me sleep and locked me in a room for brutal beatings. They scolded me, and stuffed a mop and feces into my mouth. They hung me up and used a knife to open my mouth. When they force-fed me, some of my teeth were knocked loose. After they beat me, they brushed my hair and washed my face before carrying me out of the room. They pretended nothing had happened. They didn't want other prisoners to know the cruel things they did. My leg injury became worse. When you visited me, I told you the injury was from when I was in the 3rd brigade, because a guard from the 9th prison ward was present. They wouldn't let us tell the outside world that they were guilty of beating me. The warden told the public, "We do not beat Falun Gong practitioners." This was just like China promised the world, "Falun Gong practitioners were never imprisoned in China." Nonsense!
3. My Family, It Is Your Acceptance That Empowers Them to Increase Their Persecution of Me
I was tortured for an entire year. The guards didn't succeed in "transforming" genuine practitioners. However, the prison claimed to the public that all Falun Gong practitioners were "transformed." They told that lie to the prisoners, practitioners' families and the public. When practitioners' families came to visit, the guards first talked to the families to see if they were on their same side - against Falun Gong.
Father, do you know when our family criticized me and wanted me to "transform," it made the guards intensify the persecution? Your attitude makes the guards feel that they are right when they beat me; they think I shouldn't blame them for beating me because my family agrees that practicing "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance" is bad. One family told the guards, "My family member in this prison is a good person and if she is ever hurt in any way, we will take legal action against you." By doing this, the guards dared not to persecute their family member because they felt guilty and scared. Support from families intimidates the guards greatly.
Since no amount of mental abuse and physical tortures could "transform" me, they decided to force it upon me. The guards beat me until I passed out. Then they put my fingerprint on a "transformation" statement. After I woke up, I refuse to acknowledge it, so they deprived me of sleep and tortured me mentally. They also refused to give me my letters. When they failed to provoke me, they assigned five prisoners to monitor me around the clock and restrict my daily activities. The prisoners often went through my belongings and stole my clothes and then lied about it.
4. Exposing the Atrocities Will Improve the Environment
I have been trying to expose the crimes that happened in the 9th brigade. The guards worried that I would interfere with their "transformation" work and sent me to a hospital (to appear kind and caring). I have been telling the truth that they broke my leg. To shirk responsibility, they sent me to a patient ward. Normally people can't get into a patient ward unless they use connections or bribe someone. The guards wanted to have blood tests, because my nose bled a lot. I refused and asked to have my leg checked. They used all kind of methods to defraud me and wouldn't have my leg looked at. I was transferred to the patient ward on June 2, 2005. The patient ward refused to take me because I would not be "transformed." In the end, they took me because the warden ordered it.
After two months in the patient ward, the prison moved me to the 3rd brigade. I stayed in the 3rd brigade for a month and talked to captain Yang. She apologized for once physically assaulting me and expressed her respect for my belief. Now, the 3rd brigade doesn't take steadfast practitioners who refuse to transform. She applied to have me taken back to the 9th prison ward. One week in the 9th ward was approved for a week but the 9th prison ward refused to take me. They tried to have me transferred out of their ward because I remained steadfast. But, they relented and I was ready to fight the inhumanity again.
Practitioners who were released from the prison exposed the facts about the persecution in this prison on the Internet, including the actual names. Practitioners overseas found the phone number of the warden and the office number of the 9th prison ward. The practitioners called and supported the practitioners persecuted there and told the prison staff the principle of karmic retribution. The prison staff was shocked.
Through special channels I found a lawyer and asked him to file a lawsuit. I also found the Prison Management Bureau and tried to sue them for violating the laws and ordering prisoners to commit crimes. In the end, the captain talked to me and apologized. She asked me to drop the case and agreed that they would not try to "transform" me. She also agreed to transfer me out of the 9th prison ward to wherever I wanted.
My intention wasn't to punish them. I just hoped, for their sakes, that they would not commit more crimes. As for the truth and beauty of Dafa, I hope they don't miss the opportunity to listen to it. Sadly, some people will never have a chance, or do not deserve to listen to Dafa because they have committed unpardonable crimes and are bound to be the CCP's sacrificial objects.
I am your close family member. Being illegally imprisoned and persecuted, it is very hard for me to send this letter to you. I believe that you can understand my letter and all I have suffered. I hope the persecution I suffered can make you understand the CCP's evil nature and hope you will make a correct choice for yourselves.
I wish for my family members to be forever safe and well!
From a Dafa practitioner illegally imprisoned in the Women's Prison in Heilongjiang Province
May 2006
