Ms. Li Xiuhong's Appeal to Expose the Brutal Persecution in Heizuizi Women's Forced Labour Camp, Changchun City

Name: Li Xiuhong
Gender: Female
Age: Approx. 30
Address: Unknown
Occupation: Unknown

Date of Most Recent Arrest: April 22nd, 2008
Most Recent Place of Detention: Heizuzi Women's Forced Labour Camp, Changchun
City: Changchun
Province: Jilin
Persecution Suffered: Imprisonment, electric shock, beatings, physical constraint, denial of toilet use, sleep deprivation.

Ms. Li Xiuhong, along with other practitioners from the Tonghua area, Jilin Province, were arrested under the guise of "protecting the Olympics" on April 22nd, 2008. Ms. Li was taken from her home by officers from the Erdaojiangshanshang Police Station, and has been detained in the Heizuizi Women's Forced Labour Camp since June 3rd, 2008.

During her detention, Ms. Li has been subjected to various forms of torture. As a result of the long-term mental and physical abuse, she has now developed a disorder of the nervous system.

Ms. Li should have been released from the labour camp, but her term has been extended for six months, as she is unwilling to stop practising Falun Gong, and is still detained in Heizuizi Women's Forced Labour Camp.

A letter of appeal was written by Ms. Li and sent to the Procuratorate, detailing her experiences at the labour camp. The following is a copy of the appeal letter.

To the Procuratorate:

My name is Li Xiuhong, born in Tonghua City, Jilin Province. I have been detained in the First Team of Heizuizi Women's Forced Labour Camp, in Changchun (also known as Jilin Province Women's Labour Camp), since June 3rd, 2008, and have been subjected to various forms of brutal torture. I appeal to the Procuratorate to help stop the torturous acts that I have received and to stop the brutal actions of some of the guards.

Electric batons used to shock me

When I was seen doing the Falun Gong exercises in the morning of June 4th, 2008, I was forced to stop. I was kicked by guard Wei Dan, and hit around the head by guard Ye Ying, while being dragged to the guards' office. In the office the two guards used six electric batons to shock me. As one electric baton broke, they charged the remaining batons to ensure they always had one to shock me with. Sometimes they used two batons together. Ye Ying also kicked me in the stomach, lower abdomen and thighs. I was pushed to the floor, my hair was cut, and I was hit me across the face with a pair of scissors. I was then handcuffed to a death bed¹ and left there for the day. I was often shocked with electric batons during the daytime, and people could smell my clothes burning from the use of high voltage electricity that was passing through them. As a result of these beatings, I had heart palpitations, my whole body trembled, and I could not stand up. I still have heart problems, a tightness in my chest and shortness of breath.

I want to file a lawsuit against Wei Dan and Ye Ying for deliberately assaulting, torturing and humiliating me.

I was tied to a death bed and humiliated

While I was being shocked with electric batons on June 4th, Yan Lifeng, the team leader, was present. Not only did he refuse to stop the torture, but also said, "Reports on the Clearwisdom website said we use four electric batons to torture Falun Gong practitioners. It's less than what we actually use." When I said that I wouldn't give up Falun Gong, he ordered Wei Dan to continue shocking me.

On August 19th, I was forced to stand handcuffed to the bed post, and then I was tied to the death bed at night. Yan Lifeng came to my cell on August 21st, and ordered the people watching me not to give me a toilet bowl when I needed one. I was forced to relieve myself in my trousers. If anyone helped me, their term at the labour camp would be extended. So, no one dared to give me a toilet bowl, even though they saw that I badly needed it.

I told guard Zhou Zhanhong of my situation the following day, and that I wanted to appeal to the Procuratorate against the abuse. In protest I refused to drink anything, until I got a response from the guards.

At around 1:50 p.m., someone gave me a toilet bowl, which was 20 hours after I last relieved myself. I then started to drink again.

My body was greatly affected under these severe conditions. Sometimes it took me more than an hour to urinate, and other times I needed to relieve myself every hour or less. Sometimes I could only urinate after ten days, or even longer, and I have had a menstrual period only three times, since June 2008.

Yan Lifeng ordered people to watch me closely, and I was not allowed to talk to others. Besides the people who watched over me, I hardly saw anyone. If I did happen to see someone, I was not allowed to smile or look at them.

Prior to my detention, I was a healthy person, but after having a body check at the Changchun Hospital and the Japanese and Chinese Friendship Hospital, both have diagnosed me with a disorder of the nervous system. The doctors said the illness was a result of the prolonged physical and mental pressure I have been under.

I want to file a lawsuit against Yan Lifeng for the abuse of detainees, intentional assault, torture and abuse of power.

From September 2nd, to the end of October 2008, I was denied the right to wash myself or change my clothes, including my underwear. Guard Wang Lei ordered the people watching me not to help me at all. It is hard to imagine the state of a body when someone is denied the basic rights to brush one's teeth, wash one's face and body, and change clothes. My skin became very sticky and itchy. A large amount of cerumen built up in my ears, I had layers of dirt on my hands that peeled off. My socks were hard as wood. My finger nails were very long, and my toe nails were so long that I could feel them when I walked. The dead skin between my toes became hard, and I could hear it drop on to the floor when I took my socks off. Dead skin also fell out from my trousers. It is difficult to really describe the conditions in detail.

Sanitation at the labour camp was much worse than what should be minimally expected for a human being. These unwholesome conditions can cause illness, and it's especially easy for breeding and spreading infectious diseases. It put me and the people around me in a dangerous situation, and is a total disregard for life!

Because I insisted on practising the exercises in the morning, Guard Wang Lei forced me to sleep after 11 p.m. I cannot even close my eyes at any other time, otherwise, I will be kicked or violently shaken. To be denied sleep is a violation of my basic human rights. It is an abuse.

I want to file a lawsuit against Wang Lei for the abuse of detainees and intentional injury.

Guards instigate inmates to abuse me

Since April 25th, 2009, inmates Zhang Lijuan, Wang Yuqin, Pu Shuilian, who are used by the guards, lead others to continually abuse and hurt me. As a result, bruises and scars repeatedly appear on my body. I have reported it to the guards many times. Guards Yang Wei and Wang Lei have seen my wounds, but did nothing. The inmates who abused me were even rewarded and their terms were reduced.

The group leader of the so called "mutual help group," Wang Zeng, instigated other members of the group to beat me, and said: "Hit her if she practises [Falun Gong]. It's no problem. Hit her hard!" On September 6th, 2009, when Wang Yuqing saw me practising, she poured water onto the floor and made me lie in it. As she kicked me, the back of my head hit the floor very hard, and I could not breath for a long time. My clothes and hair were all wet. Wang Zeng dragged me by my collar to the hallway, where I was strangled to the point of choking.

That day, the temperature was quite cold and I sat on the cold floor in wet clothes and bare feet. Guard Yu Bo passed by and said, "No action is too much, as long as you practise." I know she witnessed the whole process, but she said she did not see anything.

Many things like this have happened to me in the labour camp. For example, on November 7th, 2009, inmate Lin Yuxue beat me, pulled my hair and pushed my head down. My face, ears and neck were hurt. She handcuffed me very tightly, and the scars on my wrists are still visible today, I still wear the torn clothes, but no one cares. It is very common for the guards to beat, curse and use various methods to torture practitioners who do not give up their belief. The reason that they are so arrogant is that the guards, especially team leader Yan Lifeng, instigate and support them.

I hope the prosecutors can enforce the law, investigate and find out the truth. I demand legal action be taken against the perpetrators.

The complainant: Li Xiuhong

Note

1. "Death Bed" torture: A practitioner is tied to a bed with his hands handcuffed above his head to the bed rails, and his legs tied with thin nylon ropes. The rope is then tightly wrapped around the practitioner's body and the bed, from his legs to his chest. The rope is wrapped so tightly that the practitioner has difficulty breathing and eventually loses consciousness.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2010/6/17/225534.html