Falun Dafa Information Center ( http://www.faluninfo.net/ )

In what is now becoming a yearly tradition, Beijing has again chosen to conduct show- trials of Falun Gong practitioners during the Christmas holiday when most Western journalists are on vacation.

The Beijing city government and television station has reported that on December 25th, the Beijing Higher People's Court rejected an appeal by four Falun Dafa practitioners, Pan You, Mu Chunyan, Chen Suping and Zhang Lixin. The four were said to have printed Falun Gong materials on a photocopy machine and printer and produced CD's on Falun Gong. The Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court had previously charged the practitioners with "using an evil cult to undermine the law," sentencing Pang to eight years in prison, Mu and Chen to seven years, and Zhang to three. Last year, four other practitioners were also quietly sentenced during this holiday season to prison terms of up to 18 years.

Over the past year and a half, we have witnessed the sentencing of hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners without due legal process and the senseless detention of tens of thousands more under so-called 'anti-cult' laws that were quickly concocted when the crackdown first began. Last winter, The Washington Post ran an article entitled "China's Rule of Law" (November 2, 1999) in which it said:

"When they found themselves without the laws they needed to vigorously persecute a peaceful meditation society, the [Chinese Communist] Party simply ordered up some new laws. Now these will be applied -- retroactively, of course By these standards, Stalin was a scrupulous observer of civil rights."

These 'laws' are vague enough that they can apply to almost any group of citizens. Indeed, they have also been applied to Christian groups that are not officially registered as part of the state-controlled 'Patriotic' religious groups. Once this 'evil cult' label has been slapped on a group, the police are practically given free rein because the goal is now to eradicate - churches can be razed to the ground and otherwise innocent people can be tortured to death.

What does it say about the state of a nation when Chinese nationals laugh out loud when reference is made to their Constitution? This is how irrelevant such a document has become under this regime. Under the current dictatorship, which article of the Constitution has NOT been violated? And what do the abuses occurring under this crackdown say about China's attitude towards the UN International Covenant On Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? As a member of the UN Security Council, why is it that the PRC is exempt from the ratification and observance of so many guidelines that bind the rest of the international community?

If any good can come of this brutal and sustained persecution against Falun Dafa practitioners, it is that it has revealed the true colors of Chinese president Jiang Zemin and his regime. In the decade since the bloodshed of the Tiananmen Incident, the world has hoped against hope that maybe economic progress would bring China into the civilized world. Sadly enough, no amount of riches can hide the rot that lies at the heart of the nation. We hope the Chinese people and the international community will see clearly the reality of the situation and remind the PRC what this holiday season is really about - compassion and goodwill to mankind.

We call on the Chinese government to uphold its own constitution by releasing all jailed Falun Dafa practitioners and restoring the rights to millions who wish only to practice their faith in peace.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER- Contacts: Gail Rachlin 212-501-8080, Erping Zhang 917-679-6944, Feng Yuan 917-912-3301, or Levi Browde 914-720-0963. Email: faluninfoctr@nycmail.com, Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/