[Minghui Net]

June 26 marks the 4^th annual United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, a tradition begun in 1997. Bay Area Amnesty International and the supporters of Falun Gong are participating this year's activities, the theme of which is "Together Against Torture." Torture victims will give testimony of their experiences. The two day-long activities also include photo displays and showing of video recordings.

Almost two years ago, the government of China started to suppress Falun Gong. To date, 233 Falun Gong practitioners have already been tortured and maltreated to death. Thousands have been imprisoned and are being tortured. The commonly used methods of torture include rape, blows to the soles of the feet, the face, the ears, suffocation with water, burns, electric shock, crude force-feeding with concentrated saline solution, forced psychotropic injections, internment in mental hospitals, standing on ice in bare feet for hours, sleep deprivation, beatings, being suspended from shackles and handcuffs with feet barely touching the floor, tying to boards for days without use of bathroom facilities and being tied up and standing in contorted positions.

To spread awareness of these conditions, we are holding the following activities:

When: June 23, 2001, Saturday, to June 24, 2001, Sunday

Photo Display: June 23, 9:00AM 4:00PM

June 24, 9:00AM 9:00PM

Seminars: June 23, 2:00 PM 4:00PM

Seminar Spokespeople: Mr. Rosoff of Amnesty International and the torture victims.

Where: San Francisco Chinatown Garden, Kearny Street and Clay Street.

Contact Person: (omitted)

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The United Nations Convention Against Torture has received the support from 105 member countries out of 189. On June 26, 2001, global action will be held in Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, Chilean, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Yugoslavia, Germany, Gerugiya (pronunciation), Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Holland, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Korea, Romania,

Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ugandan, England, Ukraine, Uruguay, America, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

For detailed information, please see: http://www.irct.org