AFP: Chinese Embassy Invites Falun Gong to Talks, Reaffirms Opposition

According to Agence France Presse (March 23, 2001), "Representatives of the Chinese embassy in Sweden reaffirmed Friday Beijing's opposition to the banned Chinese spiritual movement Falun Gong when they invited demonstrating members into the embassy for a dialogue, an AFP journalist invited to the talks reported."

The article said, "Four representatives of the movement and an AFP reporter were invited inside the embassy for a half-hour of talks as some 60 practitioners demonstrated Falun Gong exercises outside, part of a police-authorized protest during a two-day EU summit in Stockholm."

"Cui Jianchao repeatedly asked the four representatives, all Swedish citizens, whether they believed in the writings of Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi, if they had met him and if so where."

The article also mentioned, "During the talks, where the Falun Gong members were often interrupted as they tried to explain their views, a Chinese embassy official took photographs of the five visitors and their names and telephone numbers."

"One Falun Gong member asked Cui Jianchao why practitioners were 'being persecuted, murdered, tortured, and harassed.'"

" 'Is it right to oppress people, their thoughts and beliefs,' she asked."

The article concluded, "the government has sentenced hundreds of followers to prison terms of up to 18 years and sent tens of thousands to labor camps without trial, while more than 160 have died while in police custody, according to human rights groups. "