Press Release: Beijing Arrest of Mrs. Xiong Wei, former student at the Technical University of Berlin

On January 5^th, 2002, police authorities arrested Mrs. Xiong Wei, age 31, a former student at Berlin's Technical University as she distributed Falun Gong truth-clarifying handouts to passers-by, detailing the persecution of Falun Gong in China. According to information received from her family, shortly following the arrest, police officers searched her home, looking for additional Falun Gong informational materials. Police personnel did find more flyers and also arrested her husband. Because of his highly skilled, irreplaceable expertise as a technician at his place of employment, his firm paid a certain amount of bond money and therefore was allowed to retain him. He is, however, under strict security watch. The authorities did not even spare Mrs. Xiong Wei's parents, although they are not Falun Gong practitioners. During a "home visit," the police, not producing a search warrant, confiscated their computer. Mrs. Xiong Wei's father is a 71-year-old professor of solar energy at a research institute. He is also a duly elected representative to the People's Congress. Mrs. Wei's mother is a physician. Both suffered a severe mental shock, which aggravated their heart conditions. As we learned from additional information from the family, Mrs. Wei has been taken away for "re-education."

Mrs. Xiong Wei was a student at Berlin's Technical University during the years between 1993 and 1999. While there she obtained Falun Gong and had taught many Berliners the exercise movements. After completing her studies as an Assistant for China Trade [for foreign corporations, an economics degree], she returned to Beijing and had worked for a Beijing-based German enterprise. In order to avoid causing the German company any problems because of her Falun Gong practice, she voluntarily terminated her position.

During an interview with persons from the Falun Gong Information Center, Mrs. Zheng, a friend of Mrs. Wei and a fellow student at the same German university had this to say:

"The suppression of one's freedom of belief and the persecution of those citizens in China who wish to live by the principles of 'Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance' is unacceptable. Xiong Wei had lived in Germany for six years and was privileged to learn a different, a democratic system of government. She could not sit idly by and watch how the Chinese government slanders Falun Gong."

Signature Collection for Xiong Wei

Date: from Monday, January 14th - Friday, January 18th

Daily from 10:30 A.M. -- 3:00 P.M.

Place: Foyer of the Dining Hall (Hardenbergstrasse 34)

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(Original Text in German)