China to Release Nancy Chen After Eight Days of Detention
Thursday, 30 January 2003 (Sydney Falun Dafa Information Centre) – The Australian Embassy was able to confirm details about missing Australian – Ms Nancy Chen only after 72 hours after her disappearance in China. The National Security of the Chinese government claimed that they did not detain Nancy instead used the term “under surveillance” without giving any reasons to Australian officials.
Two Australian embassy officials from Beijing flew to Chengdu yesterday afternoon to further investigate the matter. According to the latest information from Nancy’s husband, Herbert Lu, Nancy and her daughter are to be sent back to Australia in a couple days. Herbert and the Sydney practitioners are grateful for Australian government’s immediate action to seek justice for Falun Gong practitioners.
Nancy Chen, 34, a resident of Canterbury, was kidnapped by the Chinese National Security Bureau in Chendu city, Sichuan province, China, on 22 January 2003.
Nancy and her six-year-old daughter arrived in China on the 17th January to visit her parents. On the 20th January, after she went to visit some friends in Chendu, her family was without news from her until 6:00am on the 22nd January, when her mother received a call from Nancy, saying: “I have been kidnapped near the American Consulate in Chengdu. They searched and took all my files including passport. Please ring my husband and ask the Australian government to save me.” The line was cut off immediately.
This is an alarming escalation to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Falun Gong is practised in over 60 countries around the world, it seems no one from any of these countries is safe should they choose to travel to China.
Ms Jan Becker, an Australian citizen and former Olympic swimmer for Australia as well as Falun Gong practitioner shares this concern. “What is a person to do if they practise Falun Gong, and they need to travel to China to do business or attend a conference or are competing in the 2008 Olympics? Jiangýs regime has done nothing less than target a segment of the world community for persecution. Regardless of race, nationality or age, you are in grave danger in China if you practise Falun Gong.”
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Background: Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.” Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries. Falun Dafa is not a religion. It is non political and free to practise.
With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China’s President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999. 557 practitioners have been verified as having been tortured to death.
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For more information, please contact:
Tony Dai: 0416 234 095 Thomas Dobson: 0414 538 115
Web sites: www.falunau.org , www.faluninfo.net Email: news@falunau.org
