Letter Asks Cambodian Government to Protect Those Who Are Suffering, Maintain Righteousness and Justice, Even Under Pressure

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am a resident of Ohio, USA. Recently from Agence France-Presse (AFP) news, I was astonished to learn that Cambodian police, under pressure from the Chinese Embassy in Phnom Penh, deported to China a Chinese couple (Li, Guojun and his wife Zhang, Xinyi) who were living and working in Phnom Penh with U.N. Refugee Certificates, simply because they are Falun Gong practitioners. According to the sources inside China, the couple is being held in a detention center in Changsha City, the capital city of Hunan Province in China, because of their belief in Falun Gong.

I cannot understand why Cambodia, a nation that has experienced the cruelty of a communist regime, can hand over two innocent people who pursue freedom of belief to another communist regime which tortures and murders people with independent thoughts and belief. Also, I cannot understand how a nation whose population is 95% Buddhist can hand over two people who believe in "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" to the regime of Jiang Zemin, where nothing but violence is worshipped.

It is important to note that these two Chinese people had already obtained U.N. Refugee Certificates. Do you know how Falun Gong practitioners have been treated by Jiang's regime in the past three years? They are routinely subject to forced brainwashing, arbitrary detention, torture and murder. Up to now, more than 1,600 Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death according the sources inside China. Do you know what the couple will face after being sent to China? They are already in police custody now. What will happen to them if they refuse to renounce their practice of Falun Gong?

History is a mirror. The suffering of the Cambodian people under the rule of the Khmer Rouge regime should make everyone in the world think: How can we keep this kind of catastrophe from happening again in the world? What should be our response if a mass human rights violation is happening in another country? I believe the answer should be: speak out for and protect those who are suffering; maintain righteousness and justice even under pressure. Helping others is helping yourselves. Doing good things creates a good future for a nation, but helping evil people persecute practitioners of a righteous practice could push a nation into a dangerous situation.

I sincerely hope that the Cambodian government can find a way to remedy this wrong deed. It is not only important for the fate of the Chinese couple, but also for the future of Cambodia.

Thank you

Sincerely yours,

[Name omitted]