(Minghui.org) In a letter to Boris Johnson, current Member of Parliament (MP) and former Primer Minister of the United Kingdom, the Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, Minister of State in the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, expressed her concern about the detention of a U.K. resident’s mother in China for her faith in Falun Gong. She said that they are closely monitoring the persecution and would seek opportunities to press their Chinese counterparts to immediately end the human rights atrocity.

The detained Falun Gong practitioner is Ms. Liu Pintong, a resident of Fushun City, Liaoning Province. She was arrested on February 3, 2023, for telling others about Falun Gong. The local police threatened to sentence her from three to five years in prison. Her son Mr. Hu Xuanming, who is currently studying for a graduate degree in the U.K., wrote to his MP, Boris Johnson, to seek help, who then shared the case with MP Trevelyan. 

Letter from British Minister of State Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP to Boris Johnson MP about a Falun Gong practitioner detained in China. 

Below is the letter from Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP to Boris Johnson MP.

Dear Boris, 

Thank you for your correspondence of 27 March to the Foreign Secretary, on behalf your constituent, Mr Xuanming Hu, about the detention of his mother in China. I am replying as the Minister of State responsible for China. 

The accounts provided by your constituent on the treatment of his mother, a Falun Gong practitioner, are deeply concerning. The freedom to practice, change or share one’s faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and more resilient against violent extremism. 

We are aware of credible evidence to suggest that Falun Gong practitioners in China are subjected to serious mistreatment. We continue to urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the People’s Republic of China, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party. We have discussed the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners with the World health Organisation (WHO), international partners, and international human rights NGOs. 

The UK Government also regularly raises the human rights situation in China directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest level. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with his counterpart on 20 February. 

Please be assured that we monitor this issue closely and will continue to impress upon China the need to immediately end serious violations of human rights. 

Yours sincerely,

The Rt. Hon. Anne-Marie Trevelyan MPMinister of State for the Indo-Pacific

The persecution of Ms. Liu Pintong has previously been reported on Minghui. She is currently held at the Nangou Detention Center. Her latest arrest came only three years after she finished serving an eight-year term. During her previous arrest on March 3, 2012, her son, who was still a teenager, was forced to sign the fabricated case document on her behalf.

Related Report:

Police Threaten to Sentence Woman to 3 to 5 Years for Raising Awareness about the Persecution of Her Faith