Denmark: Letter to the U.S. Ambassador from the Denmark Falun Dafa Association, Regarding Imprisonment of Charles Li

Ambassador Stuart Bernstein
Embassy of the United States of America
Dag Hammerskj lds Allé 24
2100 K benhavn
15th. Feb. 2003

Dear Mr. Ambassador,

We are Denmark residents and also Falun Gong practitioners who would like to ask for your help on a simple, yet urgent matter.

On January 22 2003, U.S. citizen Dr. Charles Li (Chinese name Li Xiangchun) from Menlo Park, Northern California was illegally arrested in China. He flew to China for a business trip and to visit his elderly parents for the Chinese New Year, but was snatched by police at Guangzhou airport. The only reason for this arrest is that Charles Li practises Falun Gong. Now [the Chinese authorities] are trumping up charges and trying to jail him for fifteen years.

Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual practice that provides moral guidance based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance. It teaches people to live by a higher moral standard and to purify both mind and body [...].

However, in July 1999, the Communist regime in China started a nationwide campaign to demonise and suppress Falun Gong both inside and outside of China. Confirmed reports reveal that more than 572 people have died from the persecution, more than 100,000 have been sent to labour camps, more than 500 have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 18 years and countless more have been illegally arrested and detained. Also, the persecution has been extended beyond China's borders. Representatives of the regime have adopted every means to defame and slander Falun Gong in other countries. The arrest of Mr. Li is another example of how this persecution has been spread overseas, including to the United States of America.

On July 24 2002, U.S. congress passed Concurrent Resolution 188 regarding the persecution against Falun Gong. It called on the Chinese regime to stop the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China and in the U.S.. Concurrent Resolution 188 says, "The United States Government should use every appropriate public and private forum to urge the Government of the People's Republic of China - (A) to release from detention all Falun Gong practitioners and put an end to the practices of torture and other cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment against them and other prisoners of conscience; and (B) to abide by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by allowing Falun Gong practitioners to pursue their personal beliefs."

Charles was travelling to China on business and to visit his parents. His arrest is wrong. We are deeply concerned about Charles' safety and do not want to see a tragedy extended to an innocent U.S. citizen. We respectfully and urgently request you contact the relevant United States Governmental bodies, the U.S. Embassy in China, and the Chinese Government to secure Dr. Li's immediate release. We hope the United States government will take immediate actions to protect one of its citizens from abuse by a foreign government.

Thank you for your kind consideration.

[Names omitted]

On behalf of Association of Falun Dafa in Denmark

http://clearharmony.net/articles/200302/10366.html