San Mateo County Times: Protesters slam China on human rights County Falun Gong member was imprisoned in China

May 14, 2001

SAN FRANCISCO -- When Foster City resident Alicia Zhao was visiting a friend in China during December of 1999, she had no idea it would lead to two weeks imprisonment in which she would be deprived of freedom, dignity and basic human rights.

But around 5:30 a.m. the morning after having dinner with the acquaintance, who was a practitioner of Falun Gong -- a Chinese exercise and meditation focusing on self-improvement through the study of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance -- she was abruptly awakened by heavy knocks on her hotel door from six policemen. They informed her that she had violated Chinese law by meeting with Falun Gong practitioners, and shortly after was arrested and sent to a prison in Shenzhen, China.

The 30-year-old marketing manager is among the more than 50,000 people who have been detained for either practicing or being associated with Falun Gong, according to the Falun Gong Human Rights Special Report.

That's why more than 100 people gathered in front of the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park Sunday to commemorate the ninth anniversary of the public introduction of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa. Since this observance of Falun Gong teacher Li Hongzhi introducing the practice falls on the same date as Mother's Day, organizers of the celebration have used it as an opportunity to recognize the many women practitioners who have been persecuted by the Chinese government because of their beliefs.

In July of 1999, President Jiang Zemin launched a campaign to eradicate Falun Gong.

"He thinks there is a mastermind behind this -- either one of his opponents or foreign forces. It's really his own personal political agenda," said Sherry Zhang, one of the organizers of the San Francisco event.

While there are no statistics on how many women have suffered, more than 25,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been sent to labor camps, at least 650 forced into mental hospitals, and at least 242 sentenced to prison terms of up to 18 years, the Falun Gong Human Rights Special Report states. To date, the report says that about 160 people are known to have died as a result of the brutal persecution.

That's why, in some respects, Zhao considers herself lucky.

"I had a strong belief that goodness would conquer evil," she said regarding her thoughts when she was in prison.

The moment Zhao stepped into the detention center gate, she was deprived of shoes and personal belongings. She had to share a jail cell with 38 other inmates, most of whom were prostitutes or drug addicts. The filthy one-room cell had freezing temperatures and one open, non-flush toilet.

"I was forcibly strip-searched," said Zhao, who has been practicing Falun Gong for four years. "One guard found in my coat pocket a book on Falun Gong, he yelled at me and threatened to beat me as he thought I was trying to sneak the book into jail."

But at least Zhao was spared of being beaten and tortured like many other Falun Gong practitioners.

Poster-boards with graphic photos of bruises and injuries sustained while female practitioners were in prison were displayed at the event. There were different stories in the Falun Gong Human Rights Special Report about women who had been raped or sexually abused and some who had even been beaten to death.

Congressman Sam Farr, D-Carmel, had a representative from his office read a statement to the crowd Sunday supporting the event.

"...We all hope that one day China will step forward to permit the free expression of these rights that are mandated within its own constitution," Farr wrote. "We know that Falun Dafa practitioners in China will continue with their peaceful appeal, and we salute their non-violent approach..."

Carrying banners and informational posters, the large group marched up and down John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park Sunday giving literature to those passing and flowers to mothers. Occasionally the group would come to a halt to practice the Falun Gong meditation exercises.

Vennessa Wang, 28, of San Jose is also among the many who have spent time in prison for her beliefs.

In February of 2000, Wang and her husband went to Beijing to petition for Falun Gong at the annual national assembly of the People's Congress. That evening, police broke into her apartment and arrested the couple.

When police tried to confiscate her Falun Gong book, Wang held on to it tightly. But an officer used an electrical stun baton on her face and grabbed the book.

"I told them I didn't want to let it go because I bought it legally in the United States," Wang said.

She met other practitioners in prison who had been on a hunger strike for nine days before she arrived. Wang joined them as a way to strive for freedom.

But for some, the hunger strike only caused them to become seriously ill.

"A girl vomited blood for several days and her legs were numb and cold. She fainted on the 10th day of her hunger strike. We shouted dozens of times 'open the door and let her see a doctor,'" Wang said. "The captor finally allowed two of us to take the girl to the prison infirmary."