Gruesome Scenes at the Baoding Forced Labour Camp: Piercing Flesh with Barbed Needles

The Baoding Forced Labour Camp in Hebei Province plays an active role in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. Since July 1999, during the four years of the persecution, their torture methods have become increasingly cruel and shameless.

1. "Testing" Dafa Practitioners with Wooden Rods and Electric Batons as Threats of Torture

On the afternoon of July 29, 2003, Baoding Forced Labour Camp administered a so-called "test" to Dafa practitioners. Many police monitored the event while carrying wooden rods and electric batons. Most of the questions asked directly slandered Falun Dafa. If practitioners didn't answer the questions in a "satisfactory" way, they were threatened with electric batons to change their answers. Then if they refused to comply, they were tortured with the electric batons and beaten in the abdomen and chest with the wooden rods. More than ten practitioners, including Ma Xinshun, were beaten for not providing answers that slandered Falun Dafa. On the afternoon of July 30, 2003, an inmate named Wang Shuli tried to brainwash Dafa practitioner Ma Xinshun, attempting to force him to give up his practice and change the answers in his "homework." Ma Xinshun refused, so Wang Shuli reported to the police that Ma Xinshun was "stubborn and refused to change." At around 3 p.m. the police called in Ma Xinshun and tried to force him to defame Falun Dafa. When he firmly declined, seven officers surrounded him and started to beat and kick him. Two officers pulled him up and used electric batons to beat his abdominal area and chest, which resulted in severe injuries all over his body. These seven police officers are: Li Dayong, Liu Yuesheng, Liu Qingyong, Zhang Xian, Li Mingzhi, Liu Zhe, and Wang Lei.

The police also used thin strings to tie up practitioner Bian Liangjing and then pushed beer bottles under the tightly tied strings, causing the strings to cut into his flesh and turn red with blood. They took off all of his clothes and used two electric batons to shock his private parts, causing severe burns and disfunction. The injuries he accrued from the electric shock torture have yet to heal. To conceal their vicious methods of torture, Baoding police locked away Bian Liangjing every time higher level officials came to inspect the labour camp, and they even refused to let him eat at the cafeteria.

2. Hanging Practitioners for Long Periods, Stabbing Their Flesh with Barbed Needles and Force-feeding with Alcohol

On April 3, 2003, Group One of the Baoding Labour Camp organized a group reading of a newspaper article called "People's Dignity." Practitioner Li Jianguo then said, "Where is there dignity for Falun Dafa practitioners?" When inmate Cao Xiaoping heard this he reported him to the police, and practitioner Li Jianguo was hung by his wrists for eight days.

Falun Dafa practitioner Zhao Yanping was taken to the Baoding Forced Labour Camp in March, 2003. Due to severe gastric ulcers, Zhao Yanping was confined to his bed for more than a month, and he was unable to eat any food. His family desperately wanted him to be released from the camp so he could be treated. Thus, they gave Officer Li Dayong more than 2,000 Yuan* worth of presents and gifts, and later gave him another 5,000 Yuan in cash. Later when Officer Li Dayong realized that his atrocious acts had been exposed, he reluctantly returned the 5,000 Yuan. Because of this, he came to hate Zhao Yanping even more and tortured him using all kinds of vicious means. When Zhao Yanping was critically ill, four people carried him to the infirmary bay, but not to give him treatment. Dr. Du used a wooden rod to beat him, and used barbed needles to stab his face and upper arm. [This type of needle is like a fishhook but straight and it can only pierce in one direction or else cause serious injury.]When such a needle goes in, a chunk of flesh is torn upon it being pulled back out. They also poured alcohol into his nose and mouth in order to torture him. [Falun Gong practitioners do not smoke or drink] At the time this torture took place, Zhao Yanping was already having problems eating and drinking. In the end, he was barely alive. The police then finally released him because they were afraid to take responsibility for his death.

Falun Dafa practitioner Zhang Guoqing is over 60 years old. On the morning of February 23, 2003 at 8:35 a.m. Zhang Guoqing was transferred from class one to class three of the labour camp. Inmate Xu Baoping gave practitioner Zhang a slap on the face. When Zhang asked Xu why he hit him, he was beaten and kicked even more. The next day, practitioner Zhang had a headache and went to rest in bed for a brief minute. However, he was quickly pulled out of bed by Ma Yulu and was then physically beaten. Inmates Xu Baoping and Ya Xiaochen then joined Ma Yulu and brutally beat Zhang. Lin Tongxiao then came to protect Zhang, and the inmates finally stopped beating him. The police then became even stricter, hung Zhang up by his wrists, and refused to let him sleep. This lasted for 23 days, after which time he was sent to "disciplinary class."

The persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners Zhang Guoqing and Dong Hanjie began on August 6, 2003. Police tied them up and used electric batons and wooden boards to persecute them. The torture lasted for an entire month and when they were released they could no longer walk; their feet and legs were too swollen from being hung up for extended periods. Each of them now requires two people to help them walk. Practitioner Zhang was shocked with electric batons once a day by officer Song Yahe.

3. Intense Heavy Labour Causes Many People's Hands to Become Disabled

Forced labour at the Baoding Forced Labour Camp is extremely intense. The work shifts for females often extends from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the next day. Many people's hands have become disabled due to the hard labour. The men in the camp are forced to work very long days as well, and they often don't get off work until 10:00 p.m. at night.

Although the labour camp illegally receives monetary benefits, the conditions inside the camp are very poor. The food inside is getting worse by the day. The only thing served is boiled eggplant, every day. When families go to visit, they cannot bring in any food. The shops inside the labour camp say that their prices are the same as the outside prices, but in actuality, their price is much higher. For example, instant noodles sold for 6 cents outside are sold for 1 Yuan inside the camp. Eggs sold for 1.8 Yuan per 500g outside are sold for 5 Yuan inside. The truth is that they are trying to use all means to take Falun Dafa practitioners' living expenses.

We hope that all people with conscience will go to the Baoding Forced Labour Camp to investigate the situation of Falun Dafa practitioners so that the persecution can be brought to an end.

4. Name List of Criminals from Baoding Forced Labour Camp

Inmates used by police to beat practitioners:

Xu Baoping, Zhao Anli, Xue Jinmao, Li Yongfei, Bai Yankui, Ya Xiaocheng, Ma Yulu, Kang Dong, Guo Quanying, Cao Xiaoping, and Wang Junqiao.

Wen Zhongliang, Sun Yaohui (he also organized "dare to die" teams to torture practitioners)

List of people who renounced their belief and have attempted to deceive many practitioners:

Chen Gui, Tan Fuhong, Wei Yong, Li Zhengang, He Tuiliang, Yang Jiesan, Liu Xiaohong, Tian Yongsheng, An Yonghui, Yan Zhiqiang, Wang Jianli, Wang Shuli, Li Hongbo, and Wang Zhongqiu.

* Yuan is the Chinese currency. The average monthly salary of an urban worker in China is 500 Yuan.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/9/23/57840.html