Sunday December 15, 1:50 PM

The Falungong spiritual group has called on the United States to urge China during human rights talks next week to release more than 100 jailed adherents.

The jailed Falungong [practitioners] have relatives living in 16 countries, including the United States, a statement from Falungong's [information center] in New York said.

Some of the detainees were jailed for refusing to abandon the teachings and meditation exercises taught by the group, which China banned [...] in 1999, Falungong said.

Others were arrested for calling on the government to lift the ban and stop the massive arrests of Falungong [practitioners] throughout China.

"We call upon the United States to urge China to immediately release our families in the upcoming US-Sino human rights dialogue," said He Haiying, a spokesman for the Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners.

He, a medical doctor from Harvard University, is campaigning after his mother, brother and sister were imprisoned in China for believing in Falungong.

Pressure from the United States, Ireland and other nations in the past has resulted in practitioners being freed from detention centers and forced labor camps, the group said.

International pressure has also had a significant impact on detained Falungong members with some experiencing improved living conditions and treatment, it said.

Five have gained early release from forced-labor camps.

On Monday, the United States and China are set to resume a dialogue on human rights in Beijing with US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy and Human Rights Lorne Craner to lead a US delegation.

They will be the first bilateral human rights talks since October 2001.

Washington and Beijing decided to resume the suspended dialogue this year after relations improved with bilateral cooperation on fighting terrorism.

US ambassador to China Clark Randt said last month the United States wanted substantive results from the talks.

[...]

Since the ban in 1999, China has jailed or detained tens of thousands of Falungong practitioners.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/021215/1/35q1w.html