Source: www.ChinaAid.org
Date: July 12, 2022
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Shi Minglei (left) and her imprisoned husband Cheng Yuan (right) (Photo: ChinaAid source) |
(Hunan province, China—July 12, 2022) On July 5, the family of Cheng Yuan—one of the founders of Changsha Funeng Organization, an NGO in Hunan, Changsha— received three letters from him. The letters exposed inside stories of his experience in Hunan Chishan Prison. His family is worried that the three-month confinement traumatized Cheng Yuan mentally and physically.
Cheng Yuan wrote three letters, one to his older sister, one to his wife—Shi Minglei “Hope,” and one to his father.
Cheng Yuan disclosed that he was suddenly transferred to Hunan Chishan Prison on January 18 and placed in a high-security section for three months. He was in solitary confinement until April 18, and he was prohibited from writing letters to his family, giving his family phone calls, or using money from his debit card. The prison subjected him to forced labor during this time. Cheng Yuan lost 6 kg weight, and his hair turned gray.
Cheng Yuan’s letter to his older sister says, “I had been locked up before April 18 and banned from letters and phone calls. I know that you all must be very anxious.” His letter to his wife—Shi Minglei discloses, “I barely had any personal time... I worked in the workshop during the day, and my job was to operate the sewing machine... every evening for one hour [I was forced] to participate in studies and learn the superiority of socialism and experience the happiness of the great revival of China.”
Cheng Yuan revealed in the letter that he missed his wife and their life in the U.S. He said, “You bring Wandou (their child’s nickname) to church on weekends, and you usually interact with neighbors, friends from church, pastors, and congregants.”
The lockup mentioned in Cheng Yuan’s letter makes his wife concerned. Shi Minglei said that he said that he operated the sewing machine during the day, had more grey hair, and lost a lot of weight, “my family and I cried for a long time while reading these two sentences.”
Shi Minglei learned of the real situation of Chishan Prison via Lee Ming-che, a Taiwanese pro-democracy activist. Chinese authorities sentenced Lee Ming-che to five years in Hunan Chishan Prison on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power.” They released him in April. Lee Ming-che and Cheng Yuan were in the same prison.
Lee Ming-che quoted people who were locked up, saying that they were required to walk like a duck, with their feet in a V-shape while they walk. This is not only humiliating, but it can be debilitating to the body over time.
Shi Minglei summarized the general information about confinement based on others’ experiences. Cells are about one square meter with no windows, leaving only space for a twin bed. Prison officers call roll every hour. A blinding light is left on 24 hours a day. Prisoners are not allowed to cover their eyes with the comforter. Prisoners are required to sleep in one pose—laying on their back with their hands outside the comforter.
Previous inmates verify similar descriptions. Confinement usually penalizes prisoners who make errors with physical penalties, maltreatment, insults, deprivation of food and sleep, and other tortures and illegal conduct. Cheng Yuan didn’t break any rules of the prison nor offend any officers. The reason may be that Cheng Yuan didn’t cooperate with the authorities' request to plead guilty during his case prosecution.
Shi Minglei criticized authorities, saying they made up the case and “tried defendants illegally, and our family will never accept it.”
At the IRF Summit held in Washington DC, Shi Minglei and Luo Shengchun “Sophie”—the wife of human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi— read a statement together for their imprisoned husbands.
The Chinese government prohibited Cheng Yuan from meeting with his attorney during Cheng’s 1,000-day imprisonment. They eliminated any visitation with his family and forced him to work in Hunan Chishan Prison for 13-15 hours every day. Shi Minglei called on others to follow his case and asked the authorities to stop mistreating Cheng Yuan and to release him.
Cheng Yuan, originally from Changsha, Hunan Province, is one of the founders of Changsha Funeng, an NGO law firm. Its mission is to protect the rights and interests of the vulnerable. On July 22, 2019, Cheng Yuan, Liu Dazhi, and Wu Gejianxiong were criminally detained on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power.” The Court tried them secretly last July. Cheng Yuan was sentenced to five years, Wu Gejianxiong to three years, and Wu Gejianxiong will fulfill his service and be released soon.
Shi Minglei and her daughter arrived in the U.S. on April 7, 2021, with ChinaAid's help.
~Gao Zhensai, ChinaAid Contributing Reporter
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