BEIJING, Jan 29 (AFP) – Two Australian diplomats flew from
Beijing to southwest China Wednesday to seek access to one of their
detained nationals, believed to be a member of the banned Falun Gong
spiritual movement, the embassy said.
“They’re going to talk to officials there and try to gain access
to the lady involved,” an embassy official said.
Nancy Chen, 34, went missing last week while visiting her
parents in Chengdu city in Sichuan province, according to the
Falun Gong.
Her husband Herbert Lu later received confirmation that she had
been taken away by members of China’s National Security Bureau, the
group said.
The embassy said it had confirmed that a 34-year-old Australian
woman has been detained, but would not elaborate.
Falun Gong, branded an “xxx” in China, has said she was
being held simply because she was a Falun Gong practitioner.
China considers the Falun Gong, which has millions of followers
in the mainland, the biggest threat to social stability since the
1989 Tiananmen democracy protests.
Since outlawing the group in 1999, it has jailed tens of
thousands of its followers.
Posting date: 30/Jan/2003
Original article date: 29/Jan/2003
Category: Media Reports
