Jiang Zemin: Personally Encouraging Mistreatment of Practitioners in Jiamusi
Around 300 Falun Gong practitioners are being held in Xigemu Labor Camp in Jiamusi (city), Heilongjiang (province). Most of them are from Jiamusi, Shuangyashan, Qitaihe, Hegang and Fujin. Two practitioners from Beijing are also detained here. Recently, the labor camp has become known nation-wide for its efforts of "transformation". For this reason, Jiang Zemin has visited Jiamusi. The leaders of the camp have vigorously encouraged the police officers to make every effort to "transform" Falun Gong practitioners. Many police officers in the labor camp have received awards for their "meritorious services". As a result the "transformation" methods have become even more abusive. Some of the methods used include:
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1. Brainwashing: Camp guards force practitioners to view videos and written material slandering Falun Gong. Practitioners are locked up in solitary confinement or brutally beaten for refusing to watch or read these materials. Beijing practitioner Zhang Lianying and two other practitioners were beaten black and blue for refusing to read these materials.
2. Mental torture: Guards arrange to have several "transformed" prisoners work on one adherent. They followed the adherent all the time, continually lecturing him, so as to prevent him from thinking of other matters.
3. No visitation: Practitioners who do not reject Falun Gong are not allowed visitors. This places extreme stress on families. Because of this, some practitioners' spouses have divorced them.
4. Long-term confinement: Steadfast practitioners are not allowed outside for long periods of time. Some practitioners have been kept in solitary confinement in dim, damp cells. Currently around 20 practitioners have been detained under such conditions for several months.
The Camp officials encourage the mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners by honoring and promoting police officers who take an active role in abusing Dafa practitioners. As a result many police officers have begun to use physical punishment. On September 22, a female police officer grabbed practitioner Wang Yuhong outside a classroom, kicked her and slammed her head against the floor until a male practitioner came upon the scene. The female police officer warned the male practitioner to mind his own business.
The leaders of the labor camp were so preoccupied with the transformation of Falun Gong practitioners that they neglected to control the criminals detained in the camp. Four cases of jailbreak, involving six prisoners, have occurred in the past month. Three of the escaped prisoners were later captured, one was killed and two were injured.
Currently some practitioners have begun a hunger strike to protest the "transformation". We strongly appeal to the government and leaders, as well as all kind-hearted people and organizations, to help us. Otherwise our lives are in danger.
Mainland Dafa practitioners
Posting date: 12/5/2000