President of Swiss Political Party Strongly Appeals to Director of Suzhou Lumu Shoushen Zhan Xi Prison for Release of Falun Gong Practitioner

On November 25th 2004, Qiu Minghua, Falun Gong practitioner and mother of University of St. Gallen student Wang Xiaoyang, was arrested and imprisoned at Suzhou Lumu Shoushen Zhan Xi Prison. She was arrested because she practised Falun Gong at home.

From November 25th up until today, Wang Xiaoyang has lost all contact with her mother. Her father refuses to answer questions about her mother during telephone conversations. The most likely cause of this is that he is monitored and pressured by the local authorities. Therefore, a member of the Canton Council in Canton St. Gallen wrote the following letter to the director of the prison where Qiu Minghua is thought to be illegally held, calling for her release.

Andreas Zeller, lic.oec.HSG
Member of the Canton St. Gallen
President of the Freisinnig-Democratic Party of Canton St. Gallen (FDP SG)

Director
Suzhou Lumu Shoushen Zhan Xi
Suzhou Shi Gong An Ju Di Shou Suo
215100 Suzhou, Jiangsu
People’s Republic of China

Dear Director of Suzhou Lumu Shoushen Zhan Xi,

As President of the Freisinnig, Canton St. Gallen’s Democratic Party (FDP SG) I was informed of Mrs. Qiu Minghua’s fate by her daughter, a student of the University of St. Gallen (HSG).

On November 25th 2004, her mother, Ms. Qiu Minghua, was arrested at home and has been held since that day in your prison because she practises Falun Gong. As President of a political party that holds personal freedom as one of its highest principles, I am deeply shocked concerning the violation of human rights in this particular situation.

It just can’t be true that during our lifetime a person is treated as a criminal and imprisoned for no other reason than practising peacefully at home. One’s religious belief, under the concept of religious freedom, is sacrosanct. Such a system is beyond my comprehension.

I therefore appeal to you strongly, Mr. Director, to do all in your power to exert pressure for the immediate release of Ms. Qiu Minghua. We wish to see her living in freedom.

Furthermore, I’m requesting you keep in touch and inform me of all that is done regarding this matter.

I count on your understanding and your cooperation concerning this matter.

Please accept my personal gratitude in advance.

Yours respectfully,

Andreas Zeller
President of the Canton St. Gallen FDP

Originally published in German at http://de.clearharmony.net/articles/200505/24251.html