sister Xiao Yanli was visited by her sister in jail

China Aid Association
My name is Xiao Yanfang. I’m the elder sister of Xiao Yanli. On February 17th, 2004, I went with my cousin to visit my sister at Wuhan Women’s Prison, in order to have lunch with her. When I went for the permit, the official there told me to wait till she made a phone call. I got no identity card, and they wouldn’t let me dine with her, though I have a certificate paper from the production brigade. I explained again and again to the officials, but they just wouldn’t allow us to dine together. Instead, we could only talk to each toher though the phone. So I had to go with my cousin to the visitation room on the second floor. When I went to the first floor to get a permit, the official there said, “No need for this. Go ahead.” But the policeman there sitting on the second floor stopped us, and said that we had to have a permit from the office on the fist floor. So I had to go down to the first floor for the permit. When we entered the visitation room, there were two other inmates being visited. After a while my sister Xiao Yanli came out, with a woman official behind her. When we talked, the official stood right beside my sister. It was very clear that she was eavesdropping. My sister looked tired. I asked her how she was doing, and she said, “I’m still under strict supervision. They have strict control on me.” I asked her what kind of labors she was undertaking. She said, “Weaving. Three shifts. After the eight hours I still have to work on sundry stuff for another eight hours, like on the cigarette lighters. The other eight hours I would sleep and wash my clothes. I am exhausted everyday, bodily and spiritually€¦ ” she spoke while glancing at the official beside her, and looked nervous. I asked her what she needed. She said, “Have you brought me the waterproof sleeves, pens, sweaters, shoes, and skin rub that I told you last time?” I was shocked on hearing this. I said, “You told me about this on the 12th, and I mailed them to you on the 14th. You still haven’t got it?” She said, “No. I weave in the workshop, and really need waterproof sleeves. Or I wouldn’t be able to carry through.” Only then did I know that she wasn’t able to receive the stuff. I wondered where the stuff was. She said, “I really, really want to have a Bible. I made the request many times, but€¦” I said, “I took it with me each time I come, but the officials wouldn’t let me bring it in, saying, ‘Reading the Bible here in prison? You are not helping her.’ But we got it here anyway. You can ask the officials one more time, to see if it can go through this time.”
After the visitation, we stood at the gate with our stuff, waiting for the officials to come out and take them in. But we stood there still the officials were all off duty and went home for lunch. Then I saw the official in charge of my sister coming back from lunch. We went up hurriedly and asked if she could bring in the stuff we had for Xiao Yanli. She agreed reluctantly. But she wouldn’t take the Bible or the fruits, saying, “These are contraband.” What on earth could that mean?
We left there with a heavy heart.
Written by Yanfang