Fremont weighs

By Tom Anderson, STAFF WRITER

FREMONT -- On a trip to see family in China three years ago, Elton and Janny Loh say, they were detained by Chinese officials, not fed for more than 12 hours and roughed up by guards before being sent back to San Francisco.

The Lohs, who live in Fremont, say they were deported from China for practicing Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned by the Chinese government.

"They kept our Falun Gong books and didn't even let us return to China to visit our dying relatives," Janny Loh said.

The Lohs and three other Falun Gong practitioners asked the city's human relations commissioners Monday night to write a letter to the Chinese government condemning its persecution of the movement.

After a 30-minute debate over the role of the commission, members unanimously agreed to write a letter to U.S. Rep. Pete Stark, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Sen. Barbara Boxer informing them that local residents have been affected by China's Falun Gong crackdown.

"As a melting pot, we have to address issues like (Falun Gong)," Commissioner Mohamad Rajabally said at the meeting.

Falun Gong was banned in China in 1999. [Falun Gong is a practice system for both mind and body improvement, consisting of five-sets gentle exercises and teachings of Master Li Hongzhi.]

Since then, thousands of followers have been detained and scores are reported to have died in police custody from beatings or mistreatment, Falun Gong practitioners said.

Chinese government officials [defame Falun Gong].

[...]

Councilmember Steve Cho said many Falun Gong practitioners are in Fremont and the commission should be aware of how the movement is treated in China.

[...]

Dan Schoenholz, deputy director of the city's human services department, said he will draft the commission's informational letter being sent to U.S. representatives.

Vijaya Aasuri, who chairs the commission, will sign the letter. She said the commission is not overstepping its authority, because Fremont residents are involved.

"This is an issue that affects people in our city," Aasuri said. "We wouldn't be addressing it if they didn't come to us first."

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