While classmates are enjoying their spring break with friends and family, two young women from Dallas and Austin will spend it in front of the Chinese Consulate in Houston, staging a peaceful 4-day hunger strike. Their purpose is to raise awareness among Americans that the Chinese President Jiang Zemin has ordered Chinese Falun Gong practitioners to be shot on sight if they are caught putting up posters or banners, a right that we take for granted here in the United States. They are asking the American people to help speak out for these innocent practitioners who have no voice of their own under the totalitarian regime of China.
The two young women are Kitty Wang, an MBA student at Southern Methodist University, who was arrested and tortured by Chinese police before coming to the United States, and Danielle Wang, a college student at the University of Texas at Austin based out of San Antonio, whose father was given an 18 year sentence for not giving up his spiritual belief - Falun Gong.
What: Press conference for the start of their hunger strike. The two young women will deliver their message of urgent appeal for help and talk about how the persecution has deeply affected them and their families in Texas.
Why: Following a March 5, evening broadcast of programs supportive of Falun Gong in northeastern China, a furious president Jiang Zemin ordered a series of executions targeting all persons involved and other practitioners of Falun Gong throughout China. Jiang ordered, "Kill them without mercy," immediately following the event. He also ordered police to shoot practitioners who post flyers or banners exposing the truth of the persecution. Cities and provinces across China have now reportedly compiled, following the president's command, lists of specific Falun Gong practitioners to execute.
Background:
With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999, fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has intensified it's propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.
The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of over 375 deaths since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600. Over 100,000 have been detained, with more than 20,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps without trial.