Issue 9, page 6

By Christina Choo

International News Editor

Taiwan, 27 Feb 2003 -- Over 15,000 students and professors have signed a petition in support of Chinese students who are Falun Gong followers persecuted by the Chinese authorities for their spiritual beliefs. The petition is the first of its kind to be organized by Taiwanese students from 29 universities. Students plan to forward the petition to the UN Scientific, Education and Cultural Organisation and other human rights organizations, with the aim of conveying Taiwan's concern over the rights of students in China.

Chang Ta-shan, a student at Taiwan's Tsinghua University said that cases of oppression of Falun Gong practitioners are on the increase in China.

He noted that the Chinese authorities had expanded their Falun Gong crackdown to campuses nationwide, arresting students from Peking, Tsinghua and Northern Jiaotong Universities for their spiritual practices.

Chang said that to date 15 students in China have been [tortured to death] for following the Falun Gong movement.

http://pc136.ulu.lon.ac.uk/londonstudent/issue9/6.pdf