FDIC: 50 Falun Gong Practitioners Beaten, Arrested during Peaceful Demonstration in Vietnam

NEW YORK - Approximately 50 Falun Gong practitioners were beaten and taken into custody as they sat in peaceful demonstration outside the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam. The practitioners are currently being held in a detention centre in Dong Anh, according to sources in Vietnam.

Police vans arrive across from the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam, just before Falun Gong demonstrators, sitting in peaceful protest, are forced onto the vans and taken away

At approximately 8:30am this morning (Vietnam time), Falun Gong practitioners gathered on the sidewalk across the street from the Chinese Embassy in Hanoi to sit in silent protest over the incarceration, abuse and scheduled trial of two local Falun Gong practitioners - Mr. Vu Duc Trung and his 36-year-old brother-in-law Mr. Le Van Thanh.

Mr. Trung and Mr. Thanh are charged with broadcasting uncensored news programmes via radio into China and have been in custody for 17 months, apparently because of pressure from the Chinese Communist Party on the Vietnamese authorities. (news) The trial of Mr. Trung and Mr. Thanh had been postponed twice under widespread condemnation from the international community but is now scheduled to take place on Thursday. (news)

According to an eyewitness, police arrived on the scene at approximately 8:50am. They made an attempt to disperse the group of Falun Gong practitioners by dumping dirty water or materials on the demonstrators. They then summoned individuals to begin yelling at and beating the Falun Gong practitioners.

“The thugs gathered around me,” says one witness (name withheld for security purposes). “Those in front of me beat me in the face several times until my glasses were fallen to the ground. Those behind me beat me on the neck many times.”

Around 9:20am, two police vans arrived. The Falun Gong practitioners were forced onto the vans and taken to a small stadium nearby at 19A Hoang Dieu Street. Shortly thereafter, those detained were taken to a Dong Anh detention center, where they remain at the time of this press release.

"Vietnamese authorities must immediately stop beating and abducting local Falun Gong practitioners," says Falun Dafa Information Center spokesman, Erping Zhang. "We know the pressure from the Chinese regime must be great, but there is no excuse to so blatantly violate local and international laws to persecute innocent citizens. This is a disgrace for Vietnam."

The Falun Dafa Information Center is calling upon the international community to condemn these acts of violence and suppression. The Center also calls upon Vietnamese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all Falun Gong practitioners being held, to no longer bow to pressure from the Chinese regime, and to uphold the basic principles of rule of law and human rights in Vietnam.

Background

Founded in 1999, the Falun Dafa Information Center is a New York-based organisation that documents the rights violations of adherents of Falun Gong (or “Falun Dafa”) taking place in the People’s Republic of China. In July of 1999 China’s autocratic Communist Party launched an unlawful campaign of arrests, violence, and propaganda with the intent of “eradicating” the apolitical practice; it is believed certain leaders feared the influence of the practice’ 100 million adherents. The campaign has since grown in violence and scope, with millions having been detained or sent to forced labour camps. The Center has verified details of over 3,000 deaths and over 63,000 cases of torture in custody (sources). Falun Gong is a traditional-style Buddhist “qigong” practice, with roots in the Chinese heritage of cultivating the mind/body for health and spiritual growth.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER

Contacts: Gail Rachlin (+1 917-757-9780), Levi Browde (+1 845-418-4870), Erping Zhang (+1 646-533-6147), or Joel Chipkar (+1 416-731-6000)

Fax: 646-792-3916 Email: [email protected], Website: http://faluninfo.net/