Dr. Charles Li Stages Hunger Strike in Chinese Prison – into the 8th day
SAN FRANCISCO -3 June 2003(FDI) – According to sources in the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai, an American being held in a Chinese prison, now on his seventh day of hunger strike, was beaten and force-fed while in custody.
Dr. Charles Li, a U.S. citizen and practitioner of Falun Gong, has been on hunger strike since May 27, and was force-fed since May 31 in a hospital inside the Nanjing Prison.
More than 10% of all deaths of Falun Gong practitioners in Chinese custody have resulted from force feeding.
Mr. Stuart Patt, a spokesperson for the Consular Affair Bureau of the U.S. State Department, said in an interview with the Epoch Times Chinese-language newspaper: “If Charles Li is injured because of his hunger strike, we will hold the relevant Chinese officials responsible.”
Upon hearing about Dr. Li’s situation, a U.S. consulate official drove from Shanghai to the Nanjing Prison to see Dr. Li, but prison officials would not allow the visit.
Dr. Charles Li was imprisoned in China after being ushered through a “show trial” in April for allegedly “preparing” to tap into Chinese state-run T.V. and broadcast programs exposing the persecution of Falun Gong in China.
According to recent United Nations Human Rights Commission annual reports, many Falun Gong practitioners have been killed as a result of force feeding while on hunger strikes in Chinese prisons and labor camps. The Falun Dafa Information Center has confirmed 720 cases of Falun Gong practitioners’ deaths from torture and abuse in Chinese police custody. 74 of those died from force-feeding while on hunger strike.
Fiancée and Friends of Charles Li will hold an urgent press conference today in front of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco. Ms. Yeong-Ching Foo, Dr. Charles Li’s fiancee, was informed late last night by the US consulate official in Shanghai that Charles has been on hunger strike since May 27th and has been forced fed since May 31st. He has been transferred to a hospital inside Nanjing Prison. Today will be the 8th day into Dr. Li’s hunger strike. He is protesting the injustice being done to him as well as all the Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted in China. Through the US official, Dr. Li was able to deliver 96 pages of letter illustrating the reasons why he is staging a hunger strike. The letter documented both physical and mental abuses Charles has received during his detention.
Background:
On January 22, American medical doctor Dr. Charles Lee from Menlo Park, CA, was arrested soon after he arrived in the Guangzhou airport. Dr. Lee has been put in isolation for over 60 days now and only the American consulate official was allowed to visit him for 30 minutes a month. His fiancee in the States was denied the rights to talk to him. He was put on a show trial and sentenced to 3-years in jail after a show trial on March 21st. His “crime” is his “intention” to use the State-controlled TV to reveal to the Chinese people the human rights violation against Falun Gong practitioners in China. His recent appeal to the Jiang Su high court was rejected and he is now serving his sentence in Nanjing Prison.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa 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. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China’s President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999, fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang’s regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it. At least 100,000 people have been arrested and tortured.
Posting date: 4/June/2003
Original article date: 3/June/2003
Category: World News
