CHINA CRISIS NEWS BULLETIN #58

Monitoring News of the Persecution of Falun Gong

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FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER - Contacts: Gail Rachlin 212-501-8080, Erping Zhang 917-679-6944, Feng Yuan 917-912-3301, or Levi Browde 914-720-0963. Email: [e-mail]

• FALUN GONG'S "SILENCE" HEARD LOUDLY IN MASS PROTESTS AT JIANG VISIT
• CLINTON ADMINISTRATION SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ABUSES BY CHINA
• CONGRESSIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CAUCUS TO HOLD EVENT WEDNEDAY

FALUN GONG APPEAL AT U.N. SUMMIT: 2,000 DEMONSTRATE FOR MILLIONS OF PERSECUTED PRACTITIONERS IN CHINA September 7 (Newsday) - At times, nothing is louder than silence. More than 1,000 demonstrators decrying the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China marched solemnly to the United Nations yesterday and meditated across the street from where world leaders, including Chinese President Jiang Zemin, were gathered for a week- long international summit. The silence of the Falun Gong demonstrators, who packed 47th Street from First to Second Avenues, was in sharp contrast to the shouts of protestors in nearby police pens calling for the downfall of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Dressed mainly in bright yellow T-shirts bearing the message "China: Stop persecuting Falun Gong," the supporters of the spiritual discipline walked from the Chinese Mission on 35th Street to the United Nations with the accompaniment of Chinese folk music. Their numbers were enough to stop passersby who remarked at the peacefulness and discipline the demonstrators showed, lining up in rows and keeping their formation throughout the march. Though the demonstrators said little, the message was clear: The support for Falun Gong in China and around the world is a force with which the Chinese government must contend. "We practitioners of Falun Gong gather today from across the globe...to express our indignation over China's continued persecution of Falun Gong," said Gail Rachlin, a practitioner in Manhattan as she read a statement from the group. "As President Jiang meets this week with world leaders, we remind China that it too must be held to the same human rights standards as all UN member states." The protestors, who convened from as far as Australia, carried white flowers in remembrance of the nearly 50 people who have allegedly died in Chinese police custody over the last year after being arrested for practicing Falun Gong.

CLINTON DEFENDS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, JIANG BLASTS FALUN GONG IN NY MEETING September 9 (Chicago Tribune) - The meeting [part of the UN Millennium Summit] came three days after the State Department issued a report saying that China's record of oppression of certain religious faiths has deteriorated in the last year. The report cited China's persecution of the Falun Gong religious group. (Practitioners) ... stood silent vigil on New York streets near the UN throughout the week. Later, at a luncheon speech to American businessmen and policymakers, Jiang defended China's record on human rights and said China protects freedom of "normal religious activities."

Earlier this week, Ambassador Robert Seiple, the State Department official who oversaw the report on religious persecution, said China's motive in cracking down on certain organizations is to control society. "The Chinese government is concerned about things they don't understand, things they can't control and things that have an external influence," Seiple said. "They will talk about it in terms of stability, but it's basically control." In their 90-minute meeting, the two leaders did not directly disagree with one another on any particular point, according to the official. Rather, they exchanged sometimes-contrasting views, as on religion and the missile defense issue.

In an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" program aired last Sunday, Jiang said the United States "tends to overestimate itself and its position in the world." But there was no indication of any hard feelings on Clinton's part. Instead, Clinton kidded Jiang about how CBS interviewer Mike Wallace, known for his hard-hitting interview style, was "purring like a little child" during the interview. "It was great, I'm so jealous," Clinton said.

In an MSNBC.com commentary, Danny Schechter, author of the just published Falun Gong's Challenge to China (Akashic Books) argued that the 60 Minutes interview was part of what's been called a calculated "charm offensive" aimed at upgrading the Beijing's image in America. China has hired a top New York PR firm to promote a $7 million dollar traveling public cultural expo to deflect public attention away from reports of pervasive human rights abuses in China. Media Correction: Falun Gong has denied assertions by President Jiang in his 60 Minutes interview that Falun Gong Founder Li Hongzhi has ever claimed to be Buddha or Jesus Christ. "There is no record of Li Hongzhi ever making this claim in any speech, book, or statement," a spokesperson said. "This is just more misleading official state propaganda."

THREE MORE FALUN GONG PRACTITIONERS KILLED UNDER POLICE CUSTODY IN CHINA September 6, BEIJING (AP) -- Two members of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement died from mistreatment in jail and a third plunged to his death while being interrogated by police, a rights group said Wednesday... One of the three reported to have died, 64-year-old Liu Yufeng, was detained July 18 while practicing Falun Gong meditation exercises near his home in eastern China' s Shandong province, [a] Hong Kong based [human rights] center reported. When Liu' s family saw him in prison four days later, his body was covered in wounds and burn marks from an electric baton and three of his ribs were broken, the center said. He died a few hours after returning home ... Li Faming, 52, was picked up Aug. 10 on suspicion of distributing Falun Gong pamphlets in western Gansu province, the center said. Witnesses reported seeing him fall from his apartment window while three policemen searched his home, the center said. Police ruled that Li "committed suicide for fear of punishment," the report said. Meanwhile, Zhang Tieyan, 29, died from respiratory problems caused by her imprisonment in a hot, airless cell with more than a dozen other people. Zhang had been arrested in April for refusing to renounce Falun Gong, the center said.

NEWS FROM CHINA A young graduate student from the University of Alabama, Sean Lin, and his wife, Xiaohua Du who works for Siemens Corporation, were arrested upon entry into China last Friday (Sept. 8th) while traveling to pay their last respects to Sean's dying father. Customs officials detained the couple instantly when they found Falun Gong literature in their luggage. Sean and Xiaohua, Chinese citizens who were legally working and studying in the U.S., are currently on house arrest in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. [Hengyang City] Pregnant Practitioner Suffers Miscarriage in Detention - A pregnant practitioner was detained with drug addicts at the Hengyang Detention Center. She suffered a miscarriage and severe hemorrhaging while in detention. She was then was given a fine of $180 and had $360 confiscated from her wages ($60 is the average monthly salary of a Chinese worker).

MEDIA ALERT - CONGRESSIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CAUCUS TO HOLD EVENT WEDNESDAY The Congressional Human Rights Caucus has scheduled a press conference Wednesday on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol to raise awareness of the Chinese government's continued persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. The bipartisan Caucus Co-Chairmen - Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) and Rep. John Edward Porter (R-IL) - will host the event. All members of Congress and media are invited to attend.

Date: Wed, Sept. 13th, 10:00 AM, Contact: Hans Hogefe - 202.225.3531

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER - Contacts: Gail Rachlin 212-501-8080, Erping Zhang 917-679-6944, Feng Yuan 917-912-3301, or Levi Browde 914-720-0963. Email: [e-mail]