FDI: Help Can Go a Long Way…Even as Far as Beijing

Ms. Xiaomei Jia, wife of Pittsburgh, PA resident, Cailu Xu, was recently released from a Chinese forced labour camp due to pressure from U.S. Congressman.

Then one day they were torn apart.

Mr. Xu, an associate professor who worked at China’s prestigious Tsinghua University (commonly referred to as “China’s MIT”), was practicing his meditation exercise when police arrested him and detained him in June, 2000, but was released after 30 hours. His wife, however, was not so lucky.

In October 2001, she was forced to leave home to avoid being taken away for practising Falun Gong.

One month later, she was detained by Chinese police for handing out flyers exposing the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

Mr. Xu’s wife of 14 years was then sent to the notorious Beijing Female labour Camp, where Falun Gong practitioners are regularly deprived of food and sleep, made to do hard labour and electrocuted with electric batons.

Husband Seeks Help in the U.S.

After living in fear since his wife’s arrest, Mr. Xu left China in July to attend an academic conference in Boston and never went back. “In China, I can do nothing,” he says.

Since arriving in the U.S. Mr. Xu, who now lives in Pittsburgh, has been working tirelessly to rescue his wife from torture and abuse. His local community has also joined the efforts.

The local community in Pittsburgh collects signatures for Ms. Xiaomei Jia’s release.

The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University’s Amnesty International chapters wrote letters to the Chinese Embassy. University of Pittsburgh’s Chinese American Student Association helped collect signatures. Pittsburgh City Councilman William Peduto and the local media also tried to help get the word out.

“I have made a great deal of effort to rescue my wife,” Mr. Xu says, “and I have got so much help from you.”

On May 3, 2003 Xiaomei Jia was released from imprisonment.

Mr. Xu credits U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Swissvale, for gaining her release. The Congressman’s office says they consider the case of the wife jailed in China to be part of the casework that they are responsible for. Congressman Doyle’s office forwarded Mr. Xu’s letters to his wife. The Congressman also wrote his own letters to U.S. and Chinese officials, including the U.S. Ambassador to Beijing, urging her release.

The rescue effort for Xiaomei Jia, however, is not over.

Mr. Xu says his wife is under tight surveillance and restrictions back home, while their 13 year-old son lives with his aunt in Beijing. He now hopes U.S. officials can help bring her safely to the United States.

“We’re still trying to getting her out of the country,” said a staff member in Congressman Doyle’s office.

“I would to take this opportunity to appeal to all the kind hearted Pittsburgh people to help me further, to get her here to reunite us,” says Mr. Xu. “It is powerful if everyone speaks up for justice.”

Xiaomei Jia is one of thirty nine persecuted Falun Gong practitioners with family residing in the U.S.

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practise of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.” It is a practise that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practises such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practised in over 50 countries.

With government estimates of as many as 100 million practising Falun Gong, China’s President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practise in July 1999 (report), fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang’s regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practise while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practise it.

The European Falun Gong Information Centre has verified details of 703 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labour camps, typically without trial.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTRE – Gail Rachlin 917-501-4441, Levi Browde 914-720-0963, Erping Zhang 646-533-6147, or Feng Yuan 917-941-1097. Email: [email protected]

European Contacts:
Peter Jauhal 44 (0) 7739 172 452. Nicolas Schols 32 (0) 479875734
More contacts: http://www.falungonginfo.net/europe.htm
Email: [email protected]