Exposing the Atrocities in the Chaoyang City Detention Center

(Minghui.org) When the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, the Chaoyang City Detention Center became a major detention facility. Innocent people who have not done anything illegal are taken here for brutal persecution. The guards are extremely cruel in their attempts to force Falun Gong practitioners to give up their belief.

Punitive Forced-feeding and Severe Beatings

Forced-feeding and beating are two of the persecution methods commonly carried out. Some practitioners who were force-fed nearly choked to death. Their teeth were loosened when their mouths were roughly pried open.

A male Falun Gong practitioner was beaten to the point that he lost consciousness several times. A female Falun Gong practitioner was beaten by many officers, after her pants were pulled down to her knees. Each male officer used a rubber tube to beat her back and buttocks, over twenty times. Her entire backside was black and blue, and she was unable to sit for over a month. These accounts are not unusual, and there are many cases of severe persecution at this location.

Mr. Li Hongwei Killed in Detention

In July 2002, Ren Guofan was promoted from Political Assistant to Director of Chaoyang City Detention Center. That October, Mr. Li Hongwei, a 52-year-old worker from Chaoyang City Agricultural Machinery died under his direction, after the worker was force-fed. Mr. Li was known by colleagues and neighbors alike as a good person. He was at the detention center only 10 days before his death. A member of his family, grief-stricken, went to find his remains. His body showed evidence that he had been tortured with electric batons. There was bruising on his ears, and blood inside the ears. When the relative tried to take a photo of the terribly wounded body, the guards beat him. His arm was injured, and the camera smashed. The prison personnel were obviously afraid of their crimes being exposed. They cremated Mr. Li's remains without telling the family, who only learned about it days later. No explanation was given to the family.

Mr. Li Hongwei

Mr. Chen Baofeng Died after Forced-feeding

On March 3, 2008, taxi driver Chen Baofeng was transferred from Shijiazi Detention Center to Wujiawa Detention Center. While escorting Mr. Chen out of the dormitory, deputy director Pan claimed that he was being sent for forced-feeding because he refused to eat. Within a matter of hours, Mr. Chen was dead. Chen Baofeng, just 44 years of age, had only been held for 8 days. Later, Zhang Minghua, former deputy director of the Chaoyang Municipal Public Department, wanted to close the case, so he reported that Mr. Chen's death was an accident.

Chen Baofeng

Perpetrators Go Unpunished

Ren Guofan and others at the detention center who are involved in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners are not punished, but rewarded instead. For their role in the persecution of Falun Gong, the detention center was rewarded with the designation Provincial Third Level Detention Center, as well as National Secondary Advanced Unit. Ren Guofan was awarded as "Outstanding Party Member" and “Civilized Police."

The Persecution Continues

Lan Guilin, the current director of the detention center, continues to persecute many good people.

In March 2012, Ms. Yao Yuxia from the rural area of Lingyuan City was detained in Chaoyang Detention Center. The guards would not allow her family to visit or send her clothing. Yao Yuxia started a hunger strike to protest the persecution. She was repeatedly beaten. Her constant screams could be heard throughout the detention center. Seven or eight of her front teeth were knocked out. Within several months of her incarceration and torture, she had aged extensively, her hair turning completely white.

Liu Yufang from Lingyuan City has been subjected to forced labor for a long time. She is never given enough food and is verbally abused, or beaten if she does not finish her work quota. Ms. Liu suffered severe angina on New Year's Eve and was sent to the hospital, but before she fully recovered she was sent back to the detention center. The authorities would not inform her family of her medical condition. Ms. Liu's condition has been recurring, and she has not been given any care nor allowed to go home.

When her daughter and son learned of the situation, they went to the detention center several times to ask for their mother's release so that she could receive medical treatment. Lan Guilin replied, “The detention center does send her to the hospital; we can take care of it ourselves.” When the family persisted in trying to secure Ms. Liu's release, Lan Guilin became very angry and said, “Why do you always come here? If she is to die, she will die. I will bury her. I am responsible for this.” Later Lan Guilin grabbed the collar of Liu Yufang's son and slammed him into the wall. He was badly bruised from the incident. None of the family was able to help their mother, and they went home in utter despair and sadness.

The above examples are just the tip of the iceberg of the crimes committed over the years at Chaoyang City Detention Center. There are many more crimes still to be exposed.

Lan Guilin, Director of Chaoyang City Detention Center: [phone] (Cell)
Zhao Jing, Politics and Law Committee secretary: [phone], [phone], [phone] (Cell)

Please refer to the original Chinese text for more names and telephone numbers.