Brainwashing, Illegal Detention and Imprisonment, Inside the Labour Camps, Individual Accounts, 6-10 Office

  • A Minghui Whitepaper - Brainwashing: China's Hidden Industry

    In late 2013, the Chinese regime claimed to shut down its notorious forced labour camp system after tremendous pressure from the international community. However, this was a change in name only; many of the camps were simply replaced by “black jails”— extralegal detention and brainwashing centres. These centres are a critical component in the Communist regime’s persecution of Falun Gong. Brainwashing supports the regime’s goal of wiping out Falun Gong by forcing its practitioners to renounce their beliefs through coercion and torture, both physical and psychological.
  • My Story of Facing Personal Cruelty and the Death of My Dear Family Members

    I am a Falun Gong practitioner from Daxing'anling, Heilongjiang Province, and I'm 65 years old. After 15 years of persecution at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). I have been turned from a healthy person into a frail old lady riddled with health problems. I lost control of the right side of my body, and my whole body is swollen and feels numb. The CCP persecuted my family members as well. One of my brothers and my husband lost their lives due to constant rounds of threats, extortion, and extreme anxiety.
  • Not To Be Forgotten: Practitioners Tortured in Hebei Xingtai Brainwashing Centre (Part 2)

    Wang Lihua was four months pregnant when she was arrested in March 2009. Police took her directly to the Xingtai Brainwashing Centre, where she was forced to listen to former practitioners who had been “transformed” [forcibly renounce Falun Gong] slander Falun Gong. When her baby was born its body was covered with blisters. The baby died shortly after birth. The doctor told Ms. Wang, “I can't pinpoint what toxin caused this, but there is poison in the baby's body.” Ms. Wang realized she had been poisoned in the brainwashing centre. She recalled that the drinking water she had been given had been tainted yellow, and her prison cell had a foul, indescribable odour.
  • Not To Be Forgotten: Practitioners Tortured in Xingtai Brainwashing Centre in Hebei Province (Part 1)

    Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhang Guangcai was detained at the Xingtai Brainwashing Centre facility twice in 2004. Mr. Zhang was held there for three months. He was starved, subjected to sleep deprivation, and allowed only restricted use of the toilet. Mr. Zhang was handcuffed behind his back with one arm over his shoulder. He was then shocked with electric batons. A guard from the brainwashing centre said when Mr. Zhang was being tortured, “Beating [Falun Gong practitioners] to death won't be blamed on us--it's recorded as suicide.”
  • Systematic Brainwashing of Practitioners: Isolation, Bombardment of Lies, and Physical Abuse

    The prison developed a systematic approach to conduct brainwashing of practitioners in its attempt to make us renounce our belief in Falun Gong. Within each ward, the practitioners were placed in separate cells and not allowed to see one another. Under isolation, we were bombarded day in and day out with various materials vilifying Falun Gong. Chen forced us to read Party propaganda and watch videos slandering Falun Gong, commit disrespectful acts against Falun Gong and its founder, and write “thought reports” renouncing our beliefs. Each practitioner must also pass frequent “tests” to demonstrate parting ways with Falun Gong. Those who failed the tests were subjected to more coercive brainwashing, mental and/or physical abuse.
  • Puppets of the 610 Office: How the Chinese Court System Persecutes Falun Gong

    For the last 15 years, the Chinese Communist Party has been leading an oppressive persecution of the peaceful spiritual practice Falun Gong, resulting in the unjust incarceration of countless Falun Gong practitioners in prisons and forced labour camps. The 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong) was established on June 10th, 1999, for the specific task of implementing the persecution nationwide.
  • Wrongfully Sentenced to Seven Years After Six Years of Forced Labour

    Ms. Yan Xiling, 56, from Qingzhou City, Shandong Province, spent six years in a forced labour camp. She was recently secretly sentenced to seven years and is now in custody in the Jinan Women's Jail. Previously, in Wangcun Women's Forced Labour Camp Ms. Yan was forced to watch videos and listen to recordings defaming and attacking Falun Gong. She was not allowed to sleep or take a shower. She had to stand until her feet were badly swollen. For over ten days, she was not allowed to sleep.
  • On the Verge of Death Multiple Times – Ms. Liu Zhi's Personal Account of Persecution (Part 3)

    Prison guard captain Liu Jie sent me to Liaoning Women's Prison's hospital ward on January 13th, 2012. She cursed me again, “You will lead the most painful life here.” Liu didn't get her bonus at the end of 2011, because I refused to “transform” [forcibly renounce Falun Gong]. Starting from December 14th, 2012, I noticed strange additions in my food. My drinking water also smelled like medicine. Even the food that my daughter brought for me tasted strange. On January 2nd, 2013, I had difficulty breathing again.
  • On the Verge of Death Multiple Times – Ms. Liu Zhi's Personal Account of Persecution (Part 2)

    Upon my arrival at Liaoning Women's Prison, prison guard captain Liu Jie assigned me to rack torture for a week. My arms and legs were bound to four corners of a metal bed. There was no mattress on the bed, just a wooden board. I was tied in this position all week, 24 hours a day. I couldn't see my feet, but my hands were black and blue. The skin around my tailbone was ground open from my restricted movements. I experienced multiple spasms that week.
  • On the Verge of Death Multiple Times – Ms. Liu Zhi's Personal Account of Persecution (Part 1)

    Ms. Liu Zhi, a 51-year-old Shenyang resident, has been tortured to the verge of death multiple times since 2010, simply for practising Falun Gong. Within half a year of detention in Liaoning Women's Prison starting in July 2011, Ms. Liu was tortured to the point of immobility. However, the prison denied her application for medical parole, citing that she had not given up her beliefs.
  • Police in Wuhan Confiscate Currency with Falun Gong Messages Written on Them

    News about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is censored in China and a taboo subject for state-run media. Practitioners have been arrested, tortured and even persecuted to death for informing the public about this persecution. Writing or printing words explaining the facts about the persecution on paper currency (money) has become popular in many areas in China in recent years, and has proven to be a great way to inform the public. Police from Wuhan City have been arresting practitioners and trying to stop these notes from circulating.
  • 43-Year-Old Shandong Man Recalls 15 Years of Persecution for His Belief in Falun Gong

    Looking back at the persecution he has suffered over the years, Mr. Liu Yongjin knows that unless he tells his story, no one will ever know the truth. “Because of the strict information blockade and family visitation denials, only the people who persecuted me know what happened—no one else knows,” he said. “And they will make up any excuse to hide their crimes.” After suffering forced-feeding and torture for a month, Mr. Liu was sentenced to the Tai'an Prison by the Lanshan District Court on March 21st, 2008. The trial took place at the Linyi Brainwashing Centre and lasted only 5 minutes.
  • Publicity Department Director Arrested on Orders from Political and Legal Committee and 610 Office

    Ms. Li Tong is the Publicity Department Director of the Benxi Women's Federation, a highly placed position. After she was arrested for exposing an illegal trial of Falun Gong practitioners, the police tried to use the loss of her job as leverage against her. She was told, “It would be a shame to lose such a good job. Why don't you just give up Falun Gong?” Li Tong firmly refused, and is still detained today at the Benxi Detention Centre.
  • 10-Year Sentence Upheld for Innocent Woman

    The Chaoyang Intermediate Court has upheld the lower court's 10-year prison sentence for Ms. Zhang Yuzhuo. Her lawyer denounced the lower court's verdict during the hearing on June 24th, 2014, saying, “An ordinary person like Ms. Zhang is treated like a terrorist and sentenced to 10 years in prison. She's been deprived of her civil rights for two years. Ms. Zhang believes in kindness and exercises to keep fit. Why is she being treated like a murderer, arsonist, or terrorist? Such a sentence is an abuse of the law and a violation of justice and conscience.” The judge had nothing to say in reply. The original sentence was upheld.
  • Practitioner Brutally Beaten and Interrogated

    Mr. Zhong Dongsheng, one of the 13 practitioners arrested in July 2014, was brutally beaten during the arrest and later tortured during interrogation. He became emaciated and weak after a hunger strike and both of his legs became swollen. Mr. Zhong was taken to the county hospital for a blood sample after the arrest. It is noted that Chinese authorities take blood samples from practitioners for possible future organ harvesting.