An artist’s rendering of the force-feeding torture. Dozens of Falun Gong practitioners have died from the procedure.

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During her detention, Guiying was beaten and abused by police in an attempt to force her to give up the practice of Falun Gong. In many areas throughout China, local police are reportedly given quotas for the number of Falun Gong practitioners they must “transform.”

To protest the beatings, Guiying initiated a hunger strike.

A few days into her hunger strike, police officers force-fed her. According to sources familiar with Guiying’s case, the feeding tube ruptured her lung, causing a number of injuries and a severe infection.

Recognising the severity of Guiying’s condition, police officers released Guiying to her family on January 20, 2003.

Guiying’s family immediately took her to the Manzhouli City Hospital. A physician with the hospital, however, reportedly told family members that there was “no hope of saving her.”

In the early morning hours of January 24, 2003, three days after arriving at the hospital, Guiying passed away.

Force Feeding: A Common Torture Technique

Many detention centres and labour camps in China force-feed Falun Gong practitioners. More often used as a torture technique than a way of forcing nutrients into the detainee, the force-feeding procedure is often carried out by untrained police or common prisoners.

During the procedure, the detainee's mouth is pried open using metal pliers or a crow bar, often tearing the lips and mouth and breaking teeth. A tube is then stuffed into the mouth and down the throat, or if the detainee's mouth cannot be pried open, the tube is stuffed into the nose and down the throat.

Once the tube is inserted into the stomach, a concentrated corm-meal solution or highly concentrated salt-water solution is pumped into the detainee. Many reports indicate that alternative substances, such as dirty water or sewage are also pumped into the stomach of the detainee to intensify the torture.

Dozens of Falun Gong practitioners have died from this procedure.

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.” It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.

With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China’s President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report), fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang’s regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.

The European Falun Gong Information Centre has verified details of 588 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labour camps, typically without trial.