A letter recently smuggled out of China accuses prison officials at the Lingyuan no. 2 Labour Reform Camp of severely torturing political prisoners. Some have reportedly had to be hospitalized as a result. Political prisoners at this camp are allegedly often beaten by prison guards and criminal prisoners, given electric shocks with high voltage batons and forced to work more that 12 hours a day. Liu Gang and five others were reportedly held in leg irons and sent to solitary confinement after refusing to take part in an “orientation course”. The prisoners went on hunger-strike which resulted in harsher treatment, including beating and electric shocks. Li Wei went on hunger-strike in June 1991 and Zhang Min in January 1992; both were ill treated as a result.
