“Ms. Wang’s case demonstrates just how far Jiang’s persecution of Falun Gong extends around the world. It is truly a global campaign.”
— Ms. Cindy Gu, Canadian Falun Dafa Information Centre Spokeswoman
(TORONTO Falun Dafa Information Centre) — Ms. Yuzhi Wang has been incarcerated in China’s notoriously brutal Wanjia Labour Camp (news), where, preliminary reports say, she faced brutal torture and witnessed horrific scenes. But yesterday, thanks to an around-the-clock emergency rescue effort by practitioners, supporters and government officials in Canada, she has been rescued to Canada from the Middle East, and landed in Vancouver on 11 November.
Jiang’s Global Persecution Campaign Strikes in the Middle East
Ms. Yuzhi Wang is 46-years old and a resident of Harbin City in Heilongjiang Province, where she used to own a computer store. Because she practices Falun Gong, she was arrested three times in China. The last time she was sent to Wanjia Labour Camp in Harbin City, where she says she suffered brutal torture. “I almost lost my eyesight,” Ms. Wang recalled during a brief phone interview over the weekend. She served her entire term, which ended in May 2002.
To avoid further persecution, Ms. Wang departed for the United Arab Emirates as a visitor on June 1.
Ms. Wang says she was spotted by an agent of the Chinese consulate while speaking with fellow Chinese people in a local airport in the United Arab Emirates on Oct 31st. “Due to the saturation of anti-Falun Gong propaganda in the Chinese media from Jiang’s regime, many Chinese people have heard nothing about the persecution of Falun Gong and believe the lies about Falun Gong that Jiang’s regime spreads,” Ms. Wang explains. “Thus, it is quite common for practitioners and supporters around the world to speak with Chinese people openly about this matter, and provide them with news reports and other information about what is happening to Falun Gong practitioners.”
“We are clarifying the facts,” Ms. Wang summarizes.
Ms. Wang says Chinese consulate officials pressured local policemen to arrest her and send her back to China. After she was arrested by United Arab Emirates police and was rejected appeal, she called help from Canadian Falun Gong practitioners through his family members.
An Emergency Rescue Effort
According to one of the coordinators of this rescue effort, Mr. John Zhang, Ms. Wang was arrested on Thursday, October 31. Canadian Falun Gong practitioners received the news on Friday afternoon.
Immediately, practitioners and supporters sprung into action, making appointments and talking with Canadian officials on Saturday. On Sunday, the Canadian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates contacted local government officials and local police about Ms. Wang’s case.
At the same time, practitioners wrote letters to Canadian government officials, asking the government to rescue Ms. Wang.
Ms. Wang said in a phone interview: “Everything was like in a dream. They questioned me for countless times these last few days. The local police and the [Chinese] consulate officials were trying their best to send me back to China. By 7am on Monday, I was still being attacked by United Arab Emirates policemen. But by 9am, the policemen’s attitude totally changed. They allowed me to call my family. On Tuesday I was released… My family and I held each other and cried for a long time.”
Under pressure from the Chinese consulate, however, the United Arab Emirates government required her to leave the country within 5 workdays.
Canada Quickly Issues Special Visa
Upon hearing Ms. Wang would need to leave the United Arab Emirates within 5 days, the Canadian Falun Dafa Association immediately wrote to all concerned departments in Canada.
Mr. Zhang said he received word from the Canadian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday telling him they had received letters from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Department, and the Canadian Justice Department. They felt the urgency of the matter, Mr. Zhang was told, and would definitely prepare a visa for Ms. Wang.
Ms. Wang boarded a flight for Canada yesterday, and will be arriving in Vancouver this afternoon.
Ms. Wang: “On behalf of my family, I sincerely thank the Canadian government, and the Canadian Falun Dafa Association. I am merely an extremely lucky one among tens of thousands of victims. I hope other Falun Gong practitioners in China will regain freedom like me as soon as possible.”
First Successful Rescue from a Third Country
Since this July, four Falun Gong practitioners have been released due to pressure from the global “rescue our family members” campaign (news/website). Three of them have been rescued by the Canadian government, but Ms. Wang is the first Falun Gong practitioner to be rescued from a third country.
Posting date: 20/Nov/2002
Original article date: 13/Nov/2002
Category: World News
