Press Statement: Six Falun Gong Practitioners Launch Hunger Strike in Front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC

15:00, August 17, 2001

Beginning at 3:00 PM, August 17, 2001, we have decided to launch a hunger strike in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC so that the world can see a small reflection of what Falun Gong practitioners are going through in China and hear our urgent call: "SOS! Rescue the Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China!"

In the notorious Masanjia Labor Camp of Liaoning Province, China, some 130 Falun Gong practitioners are on a hunger strike that has already lasted 17 days! The protest was set off by camp authorities' refusal to release the practitioners at the end of their terms.

These 130 practitioners should not have been put into the labor camp in the first place; yet they did not give up their faith in the principles of "Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance," despite having to endure relentless torture, abuse and coercion for many months. Now the authorities have put forth the directive that "we would rather violate the law [than set the practitioners free]. We absolutely will not release these persons." This is part of Jiang Zemin's policy to "defame Falun Gong practitioners' reputations, break them financially, and destroy them physically."

Now, these 130 practitioners have chosen to call for justice with their lives, as they hunger strike for their fundamental right to live with dignity.

Seventeen days have passed. Their lives are in danger and the situation is very urgent, but their voices can hardly be heard because the Chinese authorities have sealed off all information to the outside world.

As of August 14, 2001, at least 263 practitioners have died in custody, and the vast majority of these innocent people were tortured to death. Do we want to silently stand by and watch 130 more people die, or do we want to take action to prevent this tragedy?

Practitioners in the United States have peacefully appealed in front of the Chinese Embassy for one year and ten months, yet the authorities have repeatedly rejected our appeal letters.

We are the voice of these 130 practitioners in the free world. Let their cry for justice be heard through us, so they can have a chance to live with dignity. Seventeen days have passed for them. In this labor camp that is so notorious for its terrifying abuse of our practitioners, we cannot imagine what they have gone through and are still going through.

We call on the Chinese authorities to release these innocent practitioners unconditionally, and we again call on all governments, institutions and people of goodwill to lend their support to rescue the Falun Gong practitioners who are being viciously persecuted in China.

Thank you.

Falun Gong practitioners in the United States April Zhang, Sam Lu, Eugene Cui (Atlanta, Georgia), Shean Lin, Mike Chen (Birmingham, Alabama) Jinwei Wang (Washington, DC)

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