The Falun Gong spiritual group has called on the United States to urge China
during human rights talks next week to release more than 100 jailed
adherents.
The jailed Falun Gong members have relatives living in 16 countries,
including the United States, a statement from Falun Gong’s headquarters in
New York said.
Some of the detainees were jailed for refusing to abandon the teachings and
meditation exercises taught by the group, which China banned as an “evil
cult” in 1999, Falun Gong said.
Others were arrested for calling on the government to lift the ban and stop
the massive arrests of Falun Gong members throughout China.
“We call upon the United States to urge China to immediately release our
families in the upcoming US-Sino human rights dialogue,” said He Haiying, a
spokesman for the Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong
Practitioners.
He, a medical doctor from Harvard University, is campaigning after his
mother, brother and sister were imprisoned in China for believing in
Falun Gong.
Pressure from the United States, Ireland and other nations in the past has
resulted in practitioners being freed from detention centers and forced
labour camps, the group said.
International pressure has also had a significant impact on detained
Falun Gong members with some experiencing improved living conditions and
treatment, it said.
Five have gained early release from forced-labour camps.
On Monday, the United States and China are set to resume a dialogue on human
rights in Beijing with US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy and
Human Rights Lorne Craner to lead a US delegation.
They will be the first bilateral human rights talks since October 2001.
Washington and Beijing decided to resume the suspended dialogue this year
after relations improved with bilateral cooperation on fighting terrorism.
US ambassador to China Clark Randt said last month the United States wanted
substantive results from the talks.
Randt highlighted cases of most concern to Washington, particularly
political prisoners and victims of China’s legal system, including Xu Wenli,
jailed for 13 years in 1998 for setting up the China Democracy Party.
Since the ban in 1999, China has jailed or detained tens of thousands of
Falun Gong practitioners.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/021215/1/35q1w.html
Posting date: 16/Dec/2002
Original article date: 15/Dec/2002
Category: Media Reports
