Having endured two years of torture, Zhao Ming's body has been severely damaged, and he remains very weak. It has been confirmed that he was subjected to near constant beatings, electric baton shocks, forced heavy labour, and coercive brainwashing. He was under great pressure at all times to give up his faith, but he withstood these tests with his righteous beliefs solidly intact.

Zhao Ming has not only suffered extremely savage humiliation and beatings, but also the pressure and threats imposed on him have intensified even more with his release date getting closer. I hope that all the Falun Dafa practitioners who hear this news continue their efforts to appeal for Zhao Ming until Zhao Ming truly returns to a peaceful and safe environment. At the same time, we appeal to Human Rights organizations and people from all walks of life who uphold justice to continue to pay attention to Zhao Ming's situation and to endeavour to protect his personal safety.

Kind Chinese people, the persecution going on in China is not irrelevant to you. It may happen to you tomorrow. If we do not resist this persecution from the bottom of our hearts, we are actually encouraging the evil. In order to prevent such things from happening to more people and more families, I can' keep silent. Who is damaging families? Who is violating human rights? The people will decide for themselves.

A Chinese mother living in the UK describes how her baby girl has been denied her nationality by the Chinese government, simply because her parents practice Falun Gong.

"Zhao Ming’s friends in Dublin are cautiously joyous," we will hold off the celebrations until Ming is here to celebrate with us, only then can we relax."

Zhao Ming, a student at Trinity college, Dublin and a Falun Gong practitioner, returned to Beijing in December 1999 to appeal to the Chinese government to stop the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, but was subsequently detained in Tuan He Farm Labour Camp in Daxin County outside Beijing, where he has been tortured and beaten by guards.

The wardens themselves took part in shocking the practitioners' heads, faces and the rest of their bodies with high voltage electric batons...

“Today we are calling on Premier Zhu Rongji to honour that promise and release Zhao Ming without further delay and allow him to return to Trinity College to resume his studies. We are also asking the Irish government to seek the release of Zhao Ming on the basis that his human rights have been violated.” Dowling concluded.

[Mary Robinson] raised allegations that detained Falun Gong members are "suffering widespread violations of their human rights", including the alleged exposure of women members to sexual abuse.

Robinson pressed China to release ailing democracy activist Xu Wenli and Zhao Ming, a jailed Falun Gong member whose sentence was extended by 10 months ..

"Zhao Ming is great," the people who once tried to brainwash him said, "although we brainwashed him in turn, he always replied, 'I'll never waver in my belief no matter what trick you use.'"

All these [health] problems were gone without a trace after I began to practise Falun Gong exercises, and following the principles of Truthfulness Compassion Tolerance. I became full of energy all the time, and more caring, kind and peaceful. What a helpful practice!

The guards brainwashed my two sisters, and made my sisters think that Falun Gong and Mr Li Hongzhi deceived them despite the fact that both of the sisters had gained great benefits from practising Falun Gong. They were both cured from severe diseases and achieved so much better health, and their moral values also improved tremendously.

After a visit to China over the holidays in the winter of 1999-2000, Ming was prevented from returning to Ireland, and was subsequently detained without trial and tortured repeatedly because his involvement in the banned Falun Gong practice. Immediately after his detention, several local groups, including Amnesty International, the Graduate Students' Union at Trinity College and Falun Gong got involved in advocating for his release.

Director of Frontline
The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Dublin City Council expresses its strong wish that the Government of China would intensify efforts to improve human rights in that country and in particular calls for the immediate release of the Trinity student, Zhao Ming.

Zhao Ming is often forced to stand for long periods of time and denied sleep. They sometimes force him to sit in a water basin or stuff him under a bed. He was once beaten to the point where he could not stand up.

A Falun Gong practitioner's struggle to free her sister from a Chinese labour camp

Description of Falun Gong practitioner Zhao Ming who has been held illegally in a Chinese labour camp and subjected to torture.

Amnesty International press release includes, Falun Gong practitioner, Zhao Ming's case.

Testimonies and reports of how the persecution of Falun Gong has extended to Europeans and Chinese people living in Europe