Speech by University of Colorado Friends of Falun Gong Student Organization President on the Illegal Arrest of Charles Li

Good morning! My name is Chris Lam. I am the president of the Friends of Falun Gong student organization at the University of Colorado in Denver. Our student organization was established in the Fall of 2002 with the goal of assisting our parent organization, Friends of Falun Gong USA, in supporting the freedom of belief of persons who practice Falun Gong. Since the establishment of our student organization, we have received a great deal of support from hundreds of students and staff at the Auraria campus. We have been actively raising awareness of the brutal persecution of Falun Gong through postcard campaigns, posting and handing out flyers, and organizing a public rally to protest the actions of Chinese leader Jiang Zemin last October. In addition, we have sponsored the Falun Dafa photo exhibition that is taking place this afternoon and on Thursday at the Tivoli building.

Our latest rescue campaign concerns the recent arrest and potential sentencing of Dr. Charles Li, a U.S. citizen who was detained after arriving at the Guangzhou Airport on January 22, 2003.

Because of China's grave record of human rights abuses, particularly with regard to Falun Gong practitioners, we have reason to believe that Dr. Li is in danger of torture or worse, and we ask that our government intervene immediately on his behalf. It is absolutely unacceptable for a person to be arrested simply for his personal beliefs.

We call out to all Americans, especially the Colorado government officials, to please act quickly to help bring Dr. Li back to the U.S. safely.

If we the public and the government stand together and continue to express our concern for the Falun Gong issue and continue to put pressure on Chinese authorities, the persecution will soon end. As an American college student, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to establish a student organization to support those who have had their most basic human rights taken away from them just for wanting to improve their health and for seeking to live by the values of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance.

Falun Gong practitioners in China, we students will not stop our efforts until you regain your freedom.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today.