United States: Falun Gong Practitioners Hold Press Conference to Commemorate Liu Chengjun and Call for Punishment for His Murderers

On December 31, 2003, St Louis Falun Gong practitioners held a press conference at the famous St Louis attraction Gateway Arch. While commemorating Liu Chengjun, one of the first to broadcast the facts of the persecution over Chinese TV, the practitioners also called for punishment for Jiang Zemin and Liu Chengjun's murderers.

A western practitioner read a statement: "Today we gathered here to commemorate Falun Gong practitioner Liu Chengjun. Mr. Liu is one of the first to broadcast the facts of the persecution over Chinese state-run TV. After enduring cruel torture in prison for one year and nine months, Liu Chengjun passed away at 4 a.m. on December 26, 2003."

The statement pointed out: "In a society which respects and protects people's freedom of belief and speech, there is no need to tap into a TV network to voice one's concern. In Mainland China, the Falun Gong practitioners' freedoms of speech and belief have been completely stripped away. The Falun Gong practitioners who exercise their freedoms of speech and belief have been subjected to a bloody persecution, and the Jiang regime's state-run media have done their utmost to cover up and disguise the use of violence and torture to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. Under these circumstances, Liu Chengjun and other practitioners' act of broadcasting truth-clarifying programs in Mainland China is safeguarding the citizens' Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of speech and belief, and the people's right to know. The selfless sacrifice of Falun Gong practitioners like Liu Chengjun has enabled more and more people to learn about the truth of Falun Gong."

St Louis practitioners also said: "Liu Chengjun is the 8th confirmed death for broadcasting the facts of the persecution over Chinese state-run TV. According to a report on October 26 by a Clearwisdom reporter in China, Jilin Prison at that time had more than 100 Falun Gong practitioners who were on hunger strike to protest the brutal persecution imposed on them and all Falun Gong practitioners. The situation was urgent, as many lives were at stake. It was confirmed at that same period that Liu Chengjun was in critical condition. Now, Liu Chengjun has been tortured to death, the situation of the 100 plus practitioners in Jilin Prison is of great concern. We demand punishment for Jiang Zemin, the Changchun police and the practitioners' murderers."

While commemorating Liu Chengjun, the practitioners also strongly called for the immediate release of U.S. citizen Charles Li and all Falun Gong practitioners who have been detained for broadcasting programs about the persecution over China's state-run TV. The practitioners hope that everyone will come to learn the truth about Falun Gong and the persecution, condemn the atrocities of Jiang regime against kind-hearted people, and work together to end this persecution against those who believe in Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. Many tourists took the initiative to sign on the postcards to rescue Charles Li.

At the end of press conference, the attendees had a moment of silence to mourn Liu Chengjun and all Dafa practitioners who have died as a result of persecution.