The U.S. Government Not to Detain Master Li
The U.S. Government Not to Detain Master Li
-- It Urges Chinese Government to Respect Human Rights

(July 29)

According to Reuters' report on July 29, The United States said Thursday it had received notice through Interpol of China's request for the detention of Master Li Hongzhi. But U.S. officials noted that the two countries have no extradition treaty and that Washington had publicly urged China not to punish people for "peaceful assembly".

The Justice Department said it was given information by Interpol Thursday on a request by China for the arrest of Li Hongzhi.

Spokesman John Russell said the Chinese request has gone to all Interpol member countries, including the United States, and added that China wanted the United States to detain Li.

U.S. officials said they expected that diplomats from the Chinese embassy would discuss the issue at the State Department Thursday.

State Department spokesman Lee McClenny said Tuesday that Washington had repeatedly raised its concerns with Beijing about a ban on the group announced last week.

He referred to "the heavy-handed tactics that have been used by Chinese security officials to detain thousands of Falun Gong practitioners" and said it was "the responsibility of the Chinese government to ensure that these fundamental human rights are protected."

One spokeswoman, Gail Rachlin, said the group had been offered support by members of Congress, including House of Representatives Democratic leader Richard Gephardt.

A spokesman for Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican, said the lawmaker had met representatives of the group and he considered "that it was not a political movement and that the ongoing crisis is a case of human rights violations by the communist Chinese government."