“Falun Dafa Is Good!” Echoed Through the Labor Camp

(Minghui.org) When I was taken to a labor camp on March 13, 2000, the Falun Dafa practitioners detained there had already started to protest the persecution. We were subjected to cruel torture and were forced to do slave labor for 17 to 20 hours a day. We knew there was nothing wrong with practicing Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance; nor was there anything wrong with being a good person. We were not criminals and demanded that the work be limited to 8 hours a day and to be given holidays off. However, the authorities not only rejected our demand, but also tortured practitioners who spoke up by tying them up with thin nylon ropes.

In early March, some practitioners refused to do the slave labor. They were punished by being forced to stand facing a wall for 17 to 20 hours every day. I was forced to stand facing a wall the first day I arrived at the camp. My legs were severely swollen, and my feet were two sizes larger than usual. By the end of March, every practitioner - more than 50 of us - stood up to oppose the persecution and refused to do slave labor.

In retaliation, the labor camp intensified the persecution. In addition to being forced to stand every day, we were forced to do so-called “military training” such as marching and running in groups. Whoever refused to comply would be tied up.

One day during the “military training,” the officers dragged a practitioner to the office of the No. 3 team and planned to tie her up. Twelve practitioners, including me, witnessed it. We looked at each other, interlocked our arms and began to recite Lunyu, and more practitioners joined us. The sound of Lunyu shook the entire labor camp.

More than 30 officers swarmed out and started beating us. I was pulled out of the crowd and thrown to the ground. When I stood up, I was thrown to the ground again. My head hit the brick floor, but I didn’t feel any pain despite the loud thud. I got up again, and a female officer slapped me repeatedly. I closed my eyes and began to recite:“Live with no pursuit,Die not caring about staying;Clear out all wild thoughts,Cultivating to a Buddha is not hard.” (“Nonexistence”, Hong Yin)

I don’t know how many times I recited the poem, but when I opened my eyes, the officers were gone. The inmates dragged us back to the workshops. Afterwards, the practitioners were divided into three smaller groups to do the “military training” separately.

On the morning of April 4, 2000, more than 12 practitioners, including myself, were forced to undergo another round of “military training.” Officer Geng Xingjun insulted a practitioner, then stomped on her feet and forced her to jump. We looked at each other, interlocked our arms in unison, then began to recite Lunyu. Our solemn voices echoed in the sky above the labor camp.

Officers and inmates began to beat us. I was dragged into the office of the No. 3 Team, where officer Liu Xiumin slapped my face, right and left, until she was tired, another officer Liu Yuying then took over and slapped me. After they were done slapping me, they tied me up, forced me to kneel on the ground, took off my coat, and slung a thin nylon rope around my neck. Starting from my shoulders, they wound the rope around each of my arms in circles all the way to each wrist. Both my arms were then forced to behind my back, and the end of the rope from my wrists were brought up and tied to another end of the rope from my neck. In this position, most people would faint within five minutes. The officers then used a rubber stick to hit my buttocks. They grabbed me by the hair, and one officer picked up a board and hit the left side of my face repeatedly before hitting the right side. Officer Liu Yuying grabbed my tied arms behind my back and pulled them up hard. When four inmates were sent to carry me back, they were shocked - their eyes widened and their mouths dropped opened when they saw how I was tortured.

During the entire time, my mind was empty and I had no thoughts, I silently watched everything unfold. I felt like I was wrapped in a sponge, and I didn’t feel any pain, nor I did feel any discomfort afterwards. As a woman who is only 153 cm (about 5 ft) tall and weighs about 40 kilograms (about 88 lb), how could I protect myself? It was Master who endured the pain for me and protected me through the tribulations!

After the officers tortured me, they forced each practitioner to do slave labor by beating them. Some practitioners were beaten with batons and passed out in the workshop. We decided to no longer allow the evil to ruthlessly persecute us. At the end of April 2000, we took off the labor camp uniforms and went on a hunger strike, demanding to be unconditionally released. Most practitioners were then taken to another labor camp, except for a few of us who remained.

At that time, the labor camp broadcast slander against Falun Dafa at noon every day. Some practitioners wrote letters to the labor camp authorities to clarify the truth, and some practitioners directly asked the camp officers to stop the broadcast. However, our pleas were ignored by them. When we were on a hunger strike, they locked us up in a cell. One day, I accidentally found that the labor camp broadcast room was right next to the cell where we were held.

The next day, as soon as the broadcast began around noon, four of us practitioners entered the broadcast room. An inmate was broadcasting, and one of our practitioners took the microphone from her and told her to stop. The labor camp officers immediately came, and we were slapped in the face and forced to stand. The next day, three of us were transferred to another labor camp, leaving only one practitioner, Ms. Kong Huijuan, behind.

One day, the daily broadcasts again smeared Falun Dafa, Ms. Kong Huijuan went into the broadcast room, took the microphone from the inmate who was broadcasting and shouted into the microphone: “Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good!” Her words rang throughout the labor camp.

The officer on duty knocked over his lunch bowl and ran to the broadcast room. Ms. Kong was slapped and handcuffed for half a day. Her forced labor term was later extended six months.

In July 2000, I was transferred back to this labor camp. We were locked in strict supervision cell because we refused to wear the labor camp uniforms and to do slave labor. In August, the labor camp invited some evildoers to give a “lecture” to the practitioners. Some practitioners raised their hands and asked to speak, but they were all rejected. I thought we should not allow the “lecture” to continue, so I started shouting: “Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good!” The officers pushed me out of the classroom.

On January 23, 2001, former CCP leader Jiang Zemin single-handedly directed the inhumane “Tiananmen Square self-immolation” fake case to defame Falun Gong, deceive people, spread hatred against Falun Gong in people’s hearts and create a basis for their continued suppression against Falun Gong. The persecution in the labor camp escalated accordingly. One day, we were taken to a classroom to watch the “self-immolation” fake news report. I shouted: “Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good!” An officer kicked me so hard that the marks of the pattern of my knitted wool pants remained on my skin for several days.

The atmosphere in the labor camp became even more terrifying. Within several days, more than a hundred practitioners were beaten, shocked with electric batons, strangled, or handcuffed, no one was spared! We were forced to watch the videos, read the articles, the books, and the newspapers that slandered Falun Dafa. We were also forced to undergo “military training” and recite the rules of the labor camp. Seven officers armed with rubber and electric batons roamed around day and night, threatening and abusing practitioners. Every day, some practitioners were tortured, beaten with rubber batons, subjected to electric shocks, or handcuffed.

On the morning of May 3, 2001, officers Liu Xiumin and Zhang Jing demanded we recite the “Three Don’ts” (we were not allowed to study the Fa, do the exercises, or pass around copies of the Fa lectures) in the classroom, but no one complied. Liu Xiumin angrily grabbed the practitioner next to me and threatened to take her away to be tortured. I stood up and shouted, “Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good! ” Immediately, two other practitioners joined me and we all shouted out in unison, “Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good! Falun Dafa is good!” The words echoed throughout the building.

Hearing our shouts, officer Liu Xiumin called for the riot team. They took me to a storage room and beat me with sticks until I fell to the ground. officer Shang Changming then slapped my face before they pushed my upper body down on a table and beat me with sticks again. I heard officer Shang Changming shout, “Handcuff her!” before I lost consciousness.

I heard a voice calling my name from far away. The voice was getting closer as it went, and I slowly regained consciousness. I was alone in the storage room, my hands were above my head and handcuffed to the heating pipe overhead. Sweat dripped down my face, and my clothing was stuck to my body. Officer Liu Xiumin came in, looked at my bruised and swollen face. She said, “Don’t do this stupid thing again!” She wept, turned her face away, and quickly left the room. In fact, I felt no pain at all. I felt very relaxed, both physically and mentally. Master once again endured the hardships for me and protected me through these life-and-death tribulations.

On April 5, 2003, I was released unconditionally and left the labor camp with dignity.