Authorities in China are detaining Christians in secretive, mobile “transformation” facilities to make them renounce their faith [1] using techniques similar to those used against muslim Uighers, Radio Free Asia is reporting.
A member of a Christian “house church” in Sichuan said he was held in a facility for 10 months after a raid on his church in 2018.
The man said he was held in a windowless room, during which time he was beaten, verbally abused and “mentally tortured” by staff.
His account is chillingly similar to those of former inmates of “reeducation” camps in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
“They use really underhand methods,” the man said.
“They threaten, insult and intimidate you. You have to accept the statement they prepare for you, . . . If you refuse, you will be seen as having a bad attitude and they will keep you in detention and keep on beating you.”
“There is no time limit for the brainwashing process,” he said. “I don’t know the longest time anyone has been held there, but I was detained for eight or nine months.”
“You can’t see the sun, so you lose all no concept of time.”
He said suicidal ideation and self-harm was commonplace.
“I couldn’t sleep; after you’ve been in there a week, death starts to look better than staying there,” he said. “I bashed myself against the wall to self-harm.”
“One time in there, I was groggy and was trying to open my eyes but I couldn’t,” he said. “Four or five of them grabbed me by the arms and legs and pinned me to the ground.”
“They injected me with some drug, and brought me back to consciousness.”