An Appeal to the Cypriot People from Falun Gong Practitioners and the Family Members of Persecuted Practitioners

On October the 25th 2003, Wu Guanzheng, a high-ranking Chinese official who is directly involved in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in Shandong Province, visited Cyprus. Persecuted Falun Gong practitioners and their family members also went to Cyprus at this time. Falun Gong practitioners wrote the following letter to the Cypriot Government, media and citizens:

Wu is one of the major accomplices in the persecution of Falun Gong

Wu Guanzheng is one of the Standing Members of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and also Secretary of the Party Committee. Wu is one of the major accomplices directing the persecution against Falun Gong, which has caused at least 805 Falun Gong practitioners to be tortured to death. Wu personally directs the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in Shandong Province, where 93 practitioners have been persecuted to death.

Since the Communist Party launched the persecution, about 100,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been sent to labour camps without trial; about 1,000 practitioners have been sent to psychiatric hospitals where they have been subjected to torture; more practitioners have been detained, harassed, forced into joblessness or expelled from university; female practitioners have been sent to labour camps where they have been subjected to unimaginable ill treatment, rape and forced abortion.

Some example of Serious Human Rights Violations

Mr. Zou Songtao was from Shandong province and died in the persecution orchestrated by Wu. Mr Zou was illegally detained many times before being sent to a labour camp for three years without trial. He was repeatedly tortured and denied visits from his wife. He died on the 4th of November 2000 and his body was immediately cremated. The family’s request for a legal document on Songtao’s unexpected death was turned down.

Professor Zhang Kunlun is a Canadian citizen and a Professor of Art. Because he practises Falun Gong, he was detained 3 times while working in China and on 14th November 2000 he was sentenced to 3 years in a forced labour camp without trial. Due to international help, he was released on 10th January 2001. During his incarceration, Professor Zhang was beaten, kicked, and shocked with electric batons by police. His arms, legs, and other areas were burnt from the intense electricity. The beatings badly injured his left leg, leaving his unable to walk properly for three whole months. The police also used intense mental torture against him, which almost made him collapse.

Jane Dai, the Wife of a Persecuted Practitioner has Arrived in Cyprus

Mr. Chen Chengyong, one of the victims who died from this persecution, was detained and tortured to death in China. His 40-year-old wife Jane Dai arrived in Cyprus during Wu’s visit to protest against the Chinese government’s torture and murder of her husband, as well as the persecution of countless innocent Falun Gong practitioners. Though she does not come from Shandong Province, she said that she was willing to stand up for justice for all Falun Gong practitioners in China who are suffering in a similar way to her husband.

Why is the Chinese government fearful of Falun Gong?

Falun Gong consists of five sets of gentle exercises, helps people to regain their physical and mental health, and elevates the traditional values of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” There are 100 million people in about sixty countries practising Falun Gong.

Intolerant of any independent group, the Chinese government (Jiang’s regime) started to take notice of Falun Gong when the number of Falun Gong practitioners in China increased to about 100 million. In 1996, Jiang’s regime started to harass Falun Gong practitioners, it banned Falun Gong in July 1999 and consequently launched a large-scale persecution of Falun Gong.

Translated from Chinese at http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200310/25469.html