Former Employee of Tibet University Imprisoned and Her Pension Withheld

(Minghui.org)

Summary of Key Persecution Facts:

Name: Chen Sichang (陈四昌)
Gender: Female
Age: 60
Address: Chengdu City, Sichuan Province
Occupation: Retired employee of Tibet University, College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
Date of Most Recent Arrest: June 2004
Most Recent Place of Detention: Lhasa Beijiao Prison (拉萨北郊监狱)
City: Lhasa
Province: Tibet Autonomous Region
Persecution Suffered: Sleep deprivation, forced labor, illegal sentencing, imprisonment, home ransacked, interrogation, detention, denial of restroom use

Ms. Chen Sichang, a retired employee of the Tibet University College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, was arrested in 2004 and illegally sentenced to a three year prison term. Officers from the Linzhi Regional Ministry of State Security, with Rong Shangui, deputy secretary in charge, arrested and took her to Lhasa Beijiao Prison. After her release, the authorities withheld her retirement pension. In addition, she was frequently harassed by officials from the Linzhi Regional Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, the local 610 Office and administrators from Tibet University.

Ms. Chen's Personal Account

“My name is Chen Sichang. I am 60 years old and a retired employee of the Tibet University College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry. I used to suffer from many illnesses, including liver stones, pain in half of my body, an ascending urinary tract infection and a kidney infection. I had sought medical treatment unsuccessfully at many hospitals. Instead, my illnesses worsened. Sometimes it was so painful that I could only stay in bed. At the time, I wished I could die so I didn't have to suffer any longer.

Just when I had given up all hope, I was introduced to Falun Gong in April 1998. Through practicing Falun Gong and conducting myself according to Teacher's requirements, all of my illnesses disappeared within a few months.

Pressured to Renounce Falun Gong

When the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a nation wide persecution against Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, I was shocked and didn't know what to do. Some university administrators pressured me to renounce the practice.

Because I hadn't studied the Fa well and didn't completely trust Teacher and the Fa, I wrote a guarantee statement that I would renounce Falun Gong. However, this was done against my will.

I gradually calmed down and thought about my renunciation over and over again. I realized that there was nothing wrong with trying to be a good person and following the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

I regained my health through practicing Falun Gong and Teacher had helped me so much. Yet, I failed to step forward and uphold Falun Gong when it was persecuted and when Teacher was slandered. Instead, I gave in to the evil's demands. I felt so ashamed. I resumed practicing Falun Gong after I came to this realization.

Returning to the Practice

After retiring in the beginning of 2001, I moved back to Chengdu City. A fellow practitioner helped me publish a solemn declaration on the Minghui website stating that the guarantee statement that I had signed was invalid and that I was determined to practice Falun Gong. I started to work with other practitioners to distribute truth-clarification materials and I also clarified the truth about Falun Gong to friends and family. I was reported to the police in 2004 after sending truth-clarification materials and DVD's to a few administrators and colleagues at Tibet University.

Arrest and Interrogation

Deputy Secretary of the Linzhi Regional Ministry of State Security Rong Shangui and officer Jia Hua and Yu Zhen came to Chengdu in June 2004. After enlisting five local police officers, they broke into and ransacked my home. My personal belongings such as Falun Gong books, a tape recorder, and a Walkman were confiscated. I was arrested and taken to a hotel in Chengdu City.

After arriving at the hotel, I was handcuffed to the head rails of the bed. I couldn't stand up straight and had to remain in a bent over position. I couldn't move my hands because when I moved, the handcuffs tightened even more, until they cut into my flesh. The officers yelled, cursed, pounded on the table and even threw a chair. They interrogated me for 48 hours, during which I was given no food or water and I also suffered sleep deprivation.

Because I refused to cooperate, I was taken to the Linzhi Region Detention Center on the third day. Upon arrival, Zhang Shenglong, director, and Liu Jingshou, deputy director, interrogated me until late at night.

When I shouted “Falun Gong is good” on the flight from Chengdu to Tibet, Rong Shangui, Jia Hua, and Yu Zhen jumped up from their seats, pinched me and hit me in the mouth. Several of my teeth came loose and my mouth was swollen and filled with blood.

Rong was very pleased with himself and asked me, “Why isn't there anybody helping you when you shouted 'Falun Gong is good?'” They had me tied up with a rope.

While at the detention center, officers of the Linzhi Regional Ministry of State Security, Public Security, and Procuratorate interrogated me daily. I refused to cooperate and was locked into a cell with no windows. Three female murderers shared the cell with me. I was given very little food and all my daily activities were confined to the cell, including urination and defecation.

The guards interrogated me for five months and demanded that I renounce Falun Gong. They threatened to sentence me if I refused. I was very determined and told them, “I will not write the three statements even if I am sentenced.”

Suffering Harassment Bordering on Torture

I was sentenced to a three year prison term and transferred to Lhasa Beijiao Prison. There were nine squadrons at this prison and all female inmates were detained at the No. 3 Squadron, or No. 3 Ward.

As soon as I arrived, I was stripped naked and searched by the guards and inmates. When I refused to change into a prison uniform, a guard shouted, “Now you're here you have to obey the rules, otherwise you will suffer!” A few guards put the uniform on me.

On the same night, the head of the No. 3 Ward, Sang Jie, took me to her office, insulted me and demanded that I write the three statements. I refused and said, “I didn't do anything wrong in following the principles Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and trying to be a good person. You put me through so much suffering and are so cruel toward good people, leaving the real criminals unpunished. Falun Gong has spread all over the world and there are also many people practicing Falun Gong in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The practitioners are protected by their governments and only in China it's persecuted. Is this normal?”

I told her that practitioners want to be good people. Falun Gong and practitioners only benefit and bring no harm to the country and society. I also said, “Isn't this practice good? The government should support instead of persecuting us. Isn't this irrational? I used to suffer from many illnesses and nothing helped. Yet, after practicing Falun Gong, all my illnesses disappeared within a few months. Isn't this miraculous? You can't make me stop practicing Falun Gong.”

Sang Jie responded, “I was transferred here from the Lhasa City Forced Labor Camp. Over there, all practitioners were transformed and nobody was as stubborn as you.” I told her, “I have benefited so much from practicing Falun Gong. How could I possibly betray the practice? Even a person with the slightest conscience would not do such a thing.”

She appeared to come to some understanding and said in a low voice, “There is nothing we can do. We have to follow our superiors' instructions. Why do you have to practice Falun Gong? There are so many other practices.” I answered, “There is no other practice that is better than Falun Gong. Falun Gong is persecuted only because Jiang Zemin was jealous.”

On the second day, Sang Jie ordered a few inmates to make me undergo military training. I was exposed to the sun all day. Lhasa is the “city of daylight.” The days are long there and the ultraviolet light is very intense. After spending only one day outside, my face turned red and my skin started to peel. After being exposed to the sun all day for a few days, I developed blisters on my face.

My arms and legs had to be very straight while standing and a small piece of paper was put under my armpit. If I moved ever so slightly or dropped the piece of paper, inmate Yang Kaixiu, who was assigned to monitor me, would kick my legs or hit my back. Sweat, tears, and blood dripped down my face. It was extremely painful and a day seemed to be as long as a year. I told the guards and inmates why I practiced Falun Gong, how I benefited from it, and how I was persecuted. Eventually the military training stopped, yet they did not let up. I was transferred to a cell with only Tibetan inmates who were assigned to monitor me. I was not allowed to use the bathroom alone and not given any clean water.

Understanding the Facts About Falun Gong

I was forced to do hard labor. At first, I was assigned to knit sweaters and my quota was to knit from two pounds of thin yarn per month. No matter how hard I tried, I wasn't able to to meet my quota.

I clarified the truth about Falun Gong to the guards and the inmates and after learning the truth, a guard said, “The CCP will collapse sooner or later.” She told me to knit as much as I could. We became friends and after I was released, she visited me in Chengdu while on vacation. When I asked her to quit the CCP and its affiliated organizations, she said no out of fear. But she gladly accepted the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party I gave her and promised to remember, “Falun Gong is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”

Worsened Plight After Transfer

I was later transferred to another cell and guard Li Guilin was assigned to watch me. I had to sew garments. The first two days, I had to make 10 garments daily and later my quota was increased to 15, 20 and to even 30 a day. If we didn't meet the quota, we were often forced to work until midnight. We were also forced to work on weekends or holidays.

The head of the ward said, “It is not that I wouldn't let you have weekends and holidays off. It is because you didn't meet your quota. I have to be here on my days off, so what are you complaining about?”

There was no clean water for drinking and we were only allowed to use the bathroom once in the morning and once in the afternoon as a group.

The garments were mainly sold in Lhasa and surrounding counties. Some were exported to other countries, including Nepal and India.

Li Guilin was very cruel. She often verbally insulted me and tried to force me to renounce my belief. One day, she dragged me to the courtyard and made me stand under the sun in an attempt to make me write the three statements. When I refused, she threatened, “If you don't write it your prison term will be extended. You will not be released at the end of your term.” Then she forced other inmates to stand in the courtyard to listen to her insulting me for two hours.

The next day I went to see her. She asked me into her office thinking that I would finally write the three statements. On my way to her office, I sent forth righteous thoughts to disintegrate the evil factors behind her. Once I got to her office, I started clarifying the truth about Falun Gong to her. Although she did not accept the truth, she no longer tried to force me to renounce the practice.

Lying to the Outside World

When the prison was inspected, the menu would include nutritious dishes, but as soon as the visitors left, those dishes disappeared from the menu and we were again given boiled Chinese cabbage and unleavened buns.

Once, when a foreign reporter visited the prison, a group of inmates including myself were sent to another location temporarily. When the reporter asked if anyone else was detained there, the guards said, “No. This is a model prison.”

Continued Harassment After Release

I was released in June 2007. However, the persecution didn't stop—officials of the Linzhi Regional Political and Legislative Affairs Committee and 610 Office withheld my retirement pension.

They also ordered officials of the Community Residential Committee to monitor me. The Community Residential Committee officials Wang Chun and Yang Rui, Zhang Suhong, local police officer, Zhang Yiding, deputy secretary of the Linzhi Regional Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, Liu Zongchang, director of the Stability Maintenance Office, and officer Long Xiaomin continued to harass me.

Years after I was imprisoned for mailing truth-clarification materials and making phone calls to clarify the truth about Falun Gong, they eventually started to pay me 500 yuan per month starting in July 2011 for living expenses, but still withheld my retirement pension.

The Ordeal of Other Practitioners

Two practitioners had been illegally detained at Lhasa Beijiao Prison, No. 3 Ward.

One practitioner was a physics teacher at the Lhasa Middle School named Hu. She was in her 30's and was sentenced to a four year prison term.

The other practitioner was Za Sang (not her full name), who was a former employee of the Tibet Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences. She moved to Chengdu City with her husband after retiring and was taken back to Lhasa after being arrested by officers from the State Security Ministry. Later, she was released on probation due to poor health. The party officials of the academy monitored her around the clock, preventing her from practicing Falun Gong. Her breast cancer recurred and she passed away on October 18, 2003.

Parties involved in persecuting me:

Zhang Yiding, deputy secretary of the Linzhi Regional Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, [phone] (cell phone)
Liu Zongchang, director of the Stability Maintenance Office, [phone] (cell phone)
Long Xiaomin, Stability Maintenance Office, [phone] (cell phone)
Ji Jianzhou, party secretary of Tibet University, College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, [phone] (cell phone)
Cidan Pingcuo, president of Tibet University, College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, [phone] (cell phone)
Xie Jinchuan, deputy party secretary of Tibet University, College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, [phone] (cell phone)