PRESS STATEMENT -- May 28, 2003 Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net
Press Statement from the Falun Dafa Information Center
Dr. Charles Li, a U.S. citizen, is charged with "preparing"
to expose a systemic persecution that is killing people in China, and one
that the Chinese leadership had gone to great lengths to cover up. NEW YORK (FDI) -- In April, when Dr. Jiang Yanyong blew
the whistle on the SARS cover-up in China, the international community hailed
him as a hero -- one who put the lives and well-being of the people before
concerns for his own personal safety.
Approximately a month before, however, Chinese authorities
had imprisoned a U.S. Citizen, Dr. Charles Li, charging him with "preparing" to
do some very similar whistle-blowing of his own.
Like Dr. Jiang, the acts Dr. Li is charged with would have
forced greater visibility of an endemic problem that is killing people, and one
that the Chinese leadership has gone to great lengths to cover up.
Like Dr. Jiang, the acts Dr. Li is charged with would
necessitate putting the interests of others before himself in order to force
this visibility.
On January 22, Dr. Li was detained and subsequently charged
with "preparing" to tap into Chinese state-run television and broadcast programs
exposing the persecution of Falun Gong. (news)
The programs provide information from human rights
organizations, world media and other news sources that are readily available to
those living outside China (press
statement). Inside China, however, where people live under a regime that
strictly controls what they see, read and hear about Falun Gong, these programs
are often the first real glimpse people have of a persecution happening in their
own country that has left thousands dead and over 100,000 illegally imprisoned (sources).
Chinese authorities call this act of tapping broadcast
signals "sabotage."
On March 21, in a "show trial" lasting less than a day, Dr.
Li was tried and convicted of "preparing" to "sabotage." On May 15, Dr. Li's
fiancée, Ms. Yeong-ching Foo was notified that Dr. Li's appeal had been rejected
six days earlier and that he had been sent to Nanjing Prison in Jiangsu
Province.
Dr. Li has been held in complete isolation from friends,
family and third-party media from overseas since he was first detained in
January 22, 2003. His fiancée has neither been allowed to speak with him nor
have her letters delivered to him.
According to a U.S. consulate official, however, Dr. Li is
refusing to part-take in the daily schedule for inmates because he believes that
he is being unjustly held. Dr. Li also continues to practice the Falun Gong
exercises and meditation despite pressure and intimidation from prison guards.
Indeed, Dr. Li is now being subjected to some of the very
same human rights violations that Chinese officials allege he was "preparing" to
expose, as they use a "show trial" to imprison him, isolation to try to break
his will and pressure tactics to force him to give up his beliefs.
If Dr. Li did not commit the acts for which he is
charged, he must be immediately returned to the United States because he is
innocent of the charges.
If Dr. Li did commit the acts for which he is charged,
he must be immediately returned to the United States because he is a hero who
has sought to bring greater transparency and visibility to a systematic
persecution that is killing people every day.
Either way, a Chinese prison is the last place this American
belongs. Dr. Charles Li must be released -- unconditionally and immediately.
# # #
PRESS STATEMENT -- May 28, 2003
Falun Dafa Information Center,
www.faluninfo.net
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about),
is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal
principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was
taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr.
Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is
distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and
Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth
throughout China, and is now practiced in over
50
countries.
With government estimates of as many as
100
million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the
peaceful practice in July 1999 (report),
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 its 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 711
deaths (reports /
sources) 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, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher.
Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than
100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA
INFORMATION CENTER -- Gail Rachlin 917-501-4441, Levi Browde 914-720-0963,
Erping Zhang 646-533-6147, or Feng Yuan 917-941-1097. Email:
faluninfoctr@nycmail.com, Website:
http://www.faluninfo.net/
Category: Opinion & Perspective
