Location: Dalian Yaojia Detention Center and Dalian Labor Camp, Dalian City, Liaoning Province

Falun Gong practitioners are tortured, forced to live in inhumane, unsanitary conditions, and are forced to do hard labor for extended hours at Dalian Labor Camp in Dalian City. More than 130 Falun Gong practitioners are forced to live in rooms only 60square meters in size. In the hot summer, foul smells fill the air. The practitioners are not allowed to brush their teeth, go to the toilet, take a shower, or change clothes. Infectious diseases are rampant. The food is extremely bad and often mildewed and sour. Sometimes the team leaders of the camp give electric batons and other torture tools to the criminal prisoners and instruct them to beat the Falun Gong practitioners. Whoever beats the practitioners is rewarded with a reduced sentence. Practitioners Mr. Liu Yonglai, Mr. Chen Jiafu, and Ms. Sun Lianxia were tortured to death at the Dalian Labor Camp.

In the Dalian Yaojia Detention Center, the guards use various means to torture the Falun Gong practitioners including handcuffing them to the window bars, exhorting or demanding criminal inmates to beat them, and shackling them with a device called “Di Lao” in which their hands and feet are chained to a heavy steel frame 20 inches high and 15 inches wide. Practitioners are forced to do all kinds of hard labor. Ms. Chi Yulian was tortured to death at the Dalian Yaojia Detention Center.

1. Tortured and Forced to Work 15 Hours a Day

Ding Defu, male, 41, born November 26, 1960, a driver for the Dalian City East Second Electric Company, lives at 288-605, Huangpu Road, LingshuiBridge, Shahe District, Dalian City, Liaoning Province

Mr. Ding Defu was arrested at work on July 7,2000, for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. Policeman Lin Hai took him to the Dalian Yaojia Detention Center (also called the Dalian Detention Center). On August 4, 2000, Mr. Ding was transferred to the Dalian Labor Camp. Before his arrest, Mr. Ding was a healthy man without any diseases. However, because of the unsanitary conditions in the labor camp (there was no separation of the prisoners with infectious diseases), Mr. Ding was stricken with a severe skin disease and his whole body was covered with scabies. Sometimes Mr. Ding was not allowed to shower for a month and could not drink water for a whole day. Without giving any care for Mr. Ding’s physical condition, the police forced him to wrap copper loops on electronic equipment for 10 to 15 hours a day. When he could not finish a large assignment, he was beaten and not allowed to sleep. One time, Mr. Ding was forced to work for 15 -20 hours a day, from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., assembling ballpoint pens, which were labeled “Made in Korea.”

In November 2000, there were festering sores all over Mr. Ding’s body, including his genitals. However, he was still forced to do hard labor, which included lifting 500 to 600 bags of beans a day, each weighing 50 kg. The strenuous work caused his sores to break open, leaving stains all over his underwear. Mr. Ding was suffering extreme pain and could not sleep at night. The chiefs of both the Dalian Yaojia Detention Center and the labor camp often told Mr. Ding that if he renounced his belief in Falun Gong, he would not suffer any longer.

2. Tortured and Forced to Work more than 16 Hours a Day

Jin Tingdong male, 38, born on December 28, 1964, an instructor of the Dalian Sea Transportation Institution, and a resident at 101, No. 66, Langhua Street, Shahekou District, Dalian City, Liaoning Province.

On July 7, 2000, Mr. Jin Tingdong was arrested for refusing to renounce Falun Gong and was sent to the Dalian Yaojia Detention Center. The living conditions at the detention center were terrible. Mr. Jin was forced to live in a room of only 40 square meters with nearly 30 people, including hospital patients who had hepatitis or scabies. The sanitary conditions were very bad. The dishes were dirty. Prisoners could not brush their teeth, take showers or change their clothes. The quality of Mr. Jin’s meals was very poor and he almost never had enough to eat. The drinking water was also dirty and in very limited supply. Sometimes, Mr. Jin did not get any water to drink for an entire day. On August 4, 2000, Mr. Jin was transferred to the Dalian Labor Camp where he was forced to work over 16 hours a day, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.. Mr. Jin was in good health before he was arrested. After one year of forced labor in the labor camp, he became very weak and his body was covered with scabies.

In the labor camp, Mr. Jin was forced to assemble ballpoint pens that were labeled, "Made In Korea." For ten to fifteen hours a day, he was forced to wrap copper wire for all kinds of electronic equipment. He was also given a large quota. Though he did his best, he could barely meet the quota each day. He was beaten, sworn at, and often deprived of sleep for long periods.

Starting on August 10, 2000, Mr. Jin was forced to work with the kiln to make bricks. His work also included heavy physical construction-style work such as digging with a pickaxe, lifting and carrying such resources as loess (fine-grained deposits of silt), mineral stone, and stone powder. Every morning, Mr. Jin had to get up at 4:30 a.m. to clean the cell corridors and the stairwell. He arrived for work at 5:50 a.m. and started to work at 6 a.m. sharp. Mr. Jin was not given a break until 11:30 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., he began working again until 6 p.m. or sometimes 7:30 p.m. (before going back for dinner). When he got very tired and worked slowly, the guards or the captain would curse at him and beat him.

Mr. Jin had to work two different shifts: one week of days and another week of nights. The evening shift started at 7 p.m. and went until 6 a.m. There were no exceptions, regardless of the weather, and there was no protection from the sun, rain, or snow. Because of the unsanitary conditions, Mr. Jin’s scabies became very serious. His entire body was covered with pus from festering wounds. Still, he had to continue to work.

Starting on December 5, 2000, Mr. Jin’s major work duties included picking beans, lifting and moving big bags of beans, and stacking the bags. The intensity and length of time that he had to work also increased. Every day, he was forced to work on a plantation from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. (sometimes even as late as midnight). He was allotted thirty minutes for his meals (ten minutes per meal). He was allowed no other breaks.

The chiefs from both the Dalian Yaojia Detention Center and the labor camp often told Mr. Jin that if he renounced Falun Gong, he would not have to suffer any longer.

 
Location: Heizuizi Women’s Labor Camp, Changchun City, Jilin Province

Slave Labor is Used to Produce Miniature Japanese Figurines

The Heizuizi Women’s Labor Camp in Changchun City, Jilin Province is notorious for its torture of Falun Gong practitioners. The guards at the labor camp publicly claim that “This is hell on earth” and use various cruel and degrading ways of torture to try to force the practitioners to renounce Falun Gong.

The harsh treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in Heizuizi Women’s Labor Camp has routinely included detention incommunicado, hard labor for 18 to 19 hours a day, sleep deprivation for a week or longer, solitary confinement, and savage beatings. Shock with electric batons is so common that the guards regard it as a matter of "electric policy." The guards sometimes shock a practitioner with multiple batons simultaneously for a long time, to the point where the smell of burnt flesh fills the air. Sometimes the guards force an electric baton into a practitioner's mouth to shock her. This often leads to the disfiguring of one's face. A particular degrading torture is the "death bed" where one is stripped naked or wears only a T-shirt and is handcuffed and shackled to an iron bed. Movement is completely restricted, leading to painful muscular atrophy. The release of stool and urine is on the iron bed, resulting in unsanitary conditions. Often the practitioner is also left in a freezing storage room. When practitioners resort to hunger strikes to protest the inhuman treatment, they are often subjected to force-feeding. Injections of nerve-damaging chemicals has also been used for torture. Practitioner Ms. Yin Shuyun was tortured to death at the Heizuizi Women’s Labor Camp.

The Heizuizi Women’s Labor Camp is seriously violating international treaties signed by China. The guards force people in the labor camp to manufacture products for export. Companies exporting products made in China are using slave labor to manufacture their goods. For example, Falun Gong practitioners in Group 6 at the Heizuizi Labor Camp produce miniature Japanese human figurines for export to Japan. Other teams produce miniature birds and other items for export to western countries such as the U.K. and the U.S. Companies that pay wages to their workers cannot compete with Chinese goods made with slave labor. Furthermore, there is no incentive for China to stop using slave labor when so many people profit from this abuse.

Location: Xiguoyuan Detention Center, LanzhouCity, Gansu Province

1. Practitioner Tortured and Forced to Crack Melon Seeds with Teeth

Li Mingyi, male, resident of Qilihe area, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province

In February 2000, Mr. Li Mingyi was arrested and imprisoned at the Xiguoyuan Detention Center in Lanzhou City for 3 months. He endured various forms of inhumane treatment there. He was held, along with criminals, in a small cell that was so overcrowded that he was only able to sleep on his side at night.

The prison authorities made Mr. Li work for the well-known foreign capital enterprise, Gansu "Zhenglin" Melon Seeds. He was forced to remain squatting and crack open melon seeds with his teeth, and then remove the shells with his fingers for more than 12 hours a day. He was only allowed to stop working during lunch and supper. Every day, he was given only a small amount of steamed buns and boiled noodles. When Mr. Li could not finish the large quantity of seeds they gave him to shell, prison guards ordered criminal prisoners to beat him. Because of the long hours of labor and high intensity of the work, Mr. Li's two index fingers and thumbs became deformed with very thick calluses. His lips frequently became extremely swollen and several of his teeth were injured from cracking open the seeds. However, even though he had these injuries, he was still not allowed to rest. Because this type of labor is illegal, the work would be temporarily suspended whenever the detention center officers received notice of planned visits from certain leaders or media reporters. Mr. Li and other prisoners would be told to clean up the work area. All of the unshelled melon seeds would be bundled together and hidden. Mr. Li and the others would be issued newspapers. They were told to sit in rows and pretend to read the newspapers. As soon as the inspection ended, they would be forced to return to work.

2. Professor Tortured and Forced to Crack Melon Seeds with Teeth

Guo Shoujun, male, 36, a teacher at the Northwest Normal University with a doctorate degree, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province

In February 2000, Dr. Guo Shoujun and his wife, Prof. Yang Yongli, were arrested after they went to Beijing to hold up a banner that said, "Falun Gong is Good." Two months later, Prof. Yang was released after being fined 10,000 Yuan. Dr. Guo has been held at the Xiguoyuan Detention Center in Lanzhou City, where he has been forced to perform intensive manual labor for nearly 2 years.

On December 6, 2000, the Anning District Court had a “public trial” for Dr. Guo. The fabricated charge was “using a sect organization to damage the law.” In May 2001, after being illegally detained for 15months, he was secretly sentenced to a three-year jail term but is still being detained at the Xiguoyuan Detention Center.

The conditions at the detention center are extremely harsh. In the summer, Dr. Guo and other inmates had to meet a quota, producing between 1.5 kg. and 2 kg. (3.3 to 4.4 lb.) of melon seeds each day. The work usually starts at 7 a.m.. The procedure is to use the side of one’s teeth to open up a small crack in the shell, then take it out of one’s mouth and use one’s fingers to pick out the seed inside. Dr. Guo and the other inmates had to perform the work in a squatting position for nearly five hours straight. After lunch, they had to resume the work and meet the quota, or they were not allowed to go to sleep. Like many other inmates, Dr. Guo’s fingers were bloody, and some of his fingernails had been peeled away. Yet, they were still forced to work.

In the winter, Dr. Guo and other inmates had to pick out the best-quality seeds from 3.5 kg. (7.7 lb.) bags every day. They were forced to work from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in a squatting position outside, where the temperature often fell below –18ºC (0ºF). Anyone who could not meet the quota was beaten or punished in other ways. Many inmates suffered from cold sores in the winter. As a result of the inhumane living conditions, the death rate among inmates is quite high.

About 100 Falun Gong practitioners were detained and forced to work at the Xiguoyuan Detention Center. They were routinely locked up for several additional months, even after their terms were completed. Dr. Guo Shoujun has been forced to remain in detention for almost two years now, during which time his family has never been allowed to visit him.

Dr. Guo was an outstanding researcher and teacher at his university. He was the winner of many research grants from the Gansu Province Young Researcher’s Fund, and was in charge of a number of medical and pharmaceutical research projects under the Ministry of Technology. He was also a key researcher at the New Technology Development Project at the university. Because he is a Falun Gong practitioner, he has been illegally detained for a prolonged period and has been forced to pick out melon seeds every day. Currently, he is seriously injured and extremely weak.

3. Practitioners Forced to Shell Sunflower Seeds

Xi Lilin, Xing Yuangui, Xiao Yanhong, Li Baosheng, Zheng Fenru, Yao Yongqiang, Zhu Huilan, and Ma Jun, residents of Lanzhou City, Gansu Province

Wang Desheng, resident of Yinchuan City, Ningxia Province

Lu Xiangdong, resident of Tongxin County, Ningxia Province

Many Falun Gong practitioners detained at the Xiguoyuan Detention Center, Lanzhou City, are forced to do hard labor without compensation. Each practitioner is required to shell 1.5 – 2 kg. (3.3-4.4 lbs.) of sunflower seeds every day. They are required to work 17 hours a day, from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.. They are not allowed to sit, kneel on the floor, or stand up. They are forced to squat to do the labor. They have to continue shelling after lunch and cannot go to bed if the work is not finished. Their hands bleed from shelling for extended periods of time. The cell leader continuously abuses and beats them. Some practitioners have been detained for over three months.

 
Location: Wanjia Labor Camp, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province

Since December 14, 1999, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been sent to the Wanjia Labor Camp because they would not give up their belief in Falun Gong.

Falun Gong practitioners are forced to sleep on wet weed mats that were stored in the snow during the winter. Some are forced to sleep on the ground and many are deprived of sleep altogether. Most of the practitioners at the labor camp have scabies on their bodies and have been suffering from scabies for a longtime. They also have endured intense itching from the scabies, and have lost of sleep at night. Yet, they are still overloaded with work and are tortured every day.

The police officers in the camp torture practitioners using the most disgraceful means and often abuse their authority. Severe beatings, cursing, and starvation are common methods of torture used on practitioners.

The Wanjia Labor Camp uses solitary confinement compartments to hold Falun Gong practitioners. The compartments are about 1.3 meters wide and 2.2 meters long (some are 1.5 meters high), cold and wet. Some practitioners have been locked in those solitary compartments for over 10 months. They are not allowed to take baths, or to wash their clothes. They are also not allowed to talk or meet with their families. They are forced to sleep on the cold floor. They are usually starved and they are often cursed and beaten.

It is a common practice to arbitrarily extend the detention terms of the Falun Gong practitioners held in the labor camp. In addition, the practitioners are hung up so their feet cannot touch the ground and are then beaten. They are forced to work long hours, during which time they are physically abused by being electrically shocked or kicked. They are even tied to an iron chair for a long period. The female practitioners are often sexually abused and raped. Because of this severe torture, more than ten practitioners have died.

1. Forced to Work with Poisonous Materials without Proper Protection

Qu Fengqing, female, 57, home address: No. 32 Jiancao Street, Dongli District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province

Ms. Qu Fengqing was detained in the No. 2 Detention Center in Harbin City for 81 days. Then she was transferred to the Wanjia Labor Camp. In the labor camp, she was forced to do heavy labor such as loading and unloading trucks. For the night shift, she had to work past midnight. For the day shift, she had to work until 10 p.m.. She was also forced to make slippers, which exposed her to poisonous adhesives without proper protection.

2. Forced to Work 20 Hours a Day without Breaks

Ms. Bao, female, from Jilin Province

In late 2000, and early 2001, Ms. Bao and other practitioners were forced to work from 4 a.m. to 12 a.m. the next morning without a break. They were only allowed to use the toilet twice a day. They were not given time to wash their faces or brush their teeth. The guard of Unit No. 4, Wang Jing, often forced practitioners to listen to anti-Falun Gong brainwashing propaganda against their will until 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. in the morning after finishing their work. Ms. Bao and other practitioners often had to wash dishes and clothes for the guards and their families.

3. Forced to Make Slippers for Export to Japan

Huang Ming, female, 39, home address: #848 Qilunsidao Street, Dongli District, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province

Ms. Huang Ming was sent to the Wanjia Labor Camp and forced to do intensive work making slippers for export to Japan. The glue used was toxic, and it made her hands and face itch. She and other practitioners were forced to work every day from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.. They were only given a few minutes for meals and use of the toilet; no other breaks were permitted. Sometimes they were even forced to continue to work the night shift. The space for sleeping was no more than 18 cm. wide (about 7 inches) and there was not enough room for them to extend their legs. They had to sleep sideways and they were not allowed to turn their bodies while sleeping, and could not use the toilet at night. Socks could only be washed twice a month. The practitioners were not allowed to use the restroom or drink water without permission. They were forced to work without compensation, but they had to sign false documents that claimed they were paid.

Location: Jilin Province

Forced to Make Handcrafted Birds

Falun Gong practitioners detained in the Yitong Autonomous County Detention Center, Jilin Province, are forced to make handcrafted birds (made with stem pith, wrapped in foam, with bark, wings, and tail feathers) for export. They are forced to work for extended hours, from early morning to late at night. Sometimes, when there is a rush order, they will be even forced to work three or four days in a row without sleeping. The guards closely watch the practitioners and beat anyone whose work slows down because of their exhaustion. Not only do the guards often beat Falun Gong practitioners, they also instigate other inmates to beat practitioners. The torturers look for the slightest excuse to beat Falun Gong practitioners.

 
Location: Jinan City, Shandong Province. Telephone number: 86-531-8931747

Forced to Work with Toxic Materials

At the Shandong Women's Labor Camp, Falun Gong practitioners are forced to work from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., including weekends and holidays. They have to sit at their workstation all day and are permitted only a few minutes for lunch and dinner. The food is of poor quality and the portions are very small. They are rarely allowed to take a break during the day, except for going to the restroom. Because of the long hours of sitting without moving, most of them have developed edema (swelling due to lack of vital fluid to cell tissues in body cavities) in their feet and legs. Many practitioners are weakened by the hard labor and intolerable conditions. At the beginning of April 2001,more than half of the practitioners showed symptoms of intoxication from working with noxious chemicals. They vomited and had diarrhea, indicating signs of systemic poisoning.

Location: Xin'an Labor Camp, Beijing

Cute Toy Rabbits Belie Suffering in Chinese Labor Camps

Jennifer Zeng, female, 35, from China, now lives in Sydney, Australia, waiting for her refugee status to beassessed

Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Jennifer Zeng was detained for 12 months in Beijing’s Xinan Labor Camp, where beatings, electric shocks and sleep deprivation were all part of the re-education program for Falun Gong practitioners. She and about 130 other prisoners were forced to make 100,000 long-eared, buck-toothed toy rabbits, bearing the Nestle brand. They were told that each rabbit would be sold for about six Australian cents (U.S. $0.03). The labor camp took all the money and the prisoners received no compensation. Ms. Zeng and the other prisoners were forced to begin work each day at 5:30 a.m. and continue until early the next day, seven days a week. The prisoners were not permitted to sleep for more than three or four hours between shifts.

 
Location:
The Shuanghe Labor Camp, Qiqihar City,Heilongjiang Province
The Northern Siyou Chemical Factory, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province

The Northern Siyou Chemical Factory in Qiqihar City of Heilongjiang Province, is a private enterprise. While colluding with the authorities at the Northern Siyou Chemical Factory, the authorities of the Shuanghe Labor Camp abused its power by forcing Falun Gong practitioners to work long hours for the chemical factory. The labor camp received money for the work performed by the practitioners.

Every day Falun Gong practitioners were forced by the labor camp guards to walk a long distance to the factory. It did not matter if it was raining in summer or if there was a heavy snow in winter. When approaching the factory, one could smell a repulsive smell of chemicals far from the factory. The environment was very dirty in the factory and the job required heavy manual labor. During work hours, a heavy cloud of the chemical powders hung over the entire workshop, and one’s clothes, eyebrows, and eyelashes were soon covered with the powder. Even covering the mouth with several facemasks, one still had a running nose and tearful eyes. These chemicals were extremely harmful to the workers’ health: Some workers’ eyes and faces became reddish and swollen; some workers developed dry and cracked skin; some had nose-bleeds; some had reddish skin; some female workers lost their menstrual periods for several months, some even for an entire year. The factory did not have any working safety system, each worker was only provided with one work suit, one facemask, and no gloves. The regulation stated that safety equipment must be used while producing the pesticides, but the factory never provided such equipment. The practitioners requested many times that the factory should install shower equipment, but the authorities disregarded their requests.

The practitioners were forced to work overtime every day, and forced to work even on holidays and weekends. Whenever pesticides were in great demand, the factory and the labor camp forced the practitioners to get up before 5 a.m., and did not allow time for them to wash their face and brush their teeth. After spending only minutes for a minimal breakfast, they walked to the factory and started to work. There was only half an hour break during lunchtime. They were not allowed to leave the factory until after 11 p.m.. Some criminals from the labor camp were so tired that they cried out loud; some then slipped onto the ground and fell asleep. Sometimes they were not allowed to take showers after going back to the labor camp if the police officer on duty was in a bad mood. During the summer, it was so hot in the factory that the sweat wetted the chemical powder and it stuck to the skin, which made one’s skin very painful. When the sweat evaporated, the skin was painful as well as itchy.

Location:
Majialong Detention Center, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province
Qingyunpu Detention Center, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province

Male Falun Gong practitioners detained in the Majialong Detention Center are forced to make tungsten for light bulbs from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m..

Female Falun Gong practitioners detained in the Qingyunpu Detention Center are forced to make plastic flowers from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

No practitioner is ever paid for his or her work. Only subsistence meals are provided. Anyone who refuses to work the required hours is beaten by the guards.

 
Location: Jiangbei District Detention Center is located in Chongqing City, Sichuan Province

Falun Gong practitioners in the Jiangbei District Detention Center are forced to fold paper boxes for medicine. The boxes are labeled “Medicine for Relieving Fever and Stopping Headaches,” “Made in the Chongqing Yaoyou Medicine Manufacturing Company.” The workload would be increased as the “worker” became more skilled, with 500 for the first day, 1,000 the second day, 1,500 the third day, 2,000the fourth day, 2,000 and 3,000 from the fifth day on. Those who could not finish would not be allowed to sleep until the quota was fulfilled. Anyone who made a mistake in making the boxes would be forced to swallow the defective box.

Location: Tumuji Labor Camp is located in ZhalaiteCounty, Xing’an City, Neimenggu Province

Over 100 female Falun Gong practitioners have been detained at the Tumuji Labor Camp. This labor camp has a large farm, and all the required machinery to do farming. However, the camp officials force the Falun Gong practitioners to do all the planting and harvesting without machines to save the wear and tear on the machines and the cost to operate them. To garner more income, the camp also forces the practitioners to work for the local residents. To earn monetary rewards from higher authorities for "transforming" Falun Gong practitioners, guards at the labor camp actively seek to torture practitioners to force them to renounce Falun Gong. Practitioners are often severely beaten. They are stripped naked, and then kicked and punched. One practitioner was shocked by an electric baton forced into her vagina. Many practitioners have had their teeth knocked out, and some have had their faces beaten, swollen, and distorted out of shape to the point that they have difficulty opening their mouths to eat. To prevent anyone outside the labor camp from knowing anything about the horrifying torture, the camp prohibits any visits by family members.