Letters from the Friends of Falun Gong [Europe]

Letter from Friends of Falun Gong Europe to the UK Prime Minister

Association of European People Supporting the Freedom
Of Belief of Falun Gong Practitioners in China
(Friends of Falun Gong Europe)

Rt Hon Tony Blair MP
10 Downing Street
London

1st October 2001

Dear Mr Blair

In view of the Chinese government’s severe persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China since July 1999, we would like to express our extreme disgust at the treatment that has been meted out to them.

So far, nearly 300 practitoners have been tortured to death while in custody, and many thousands more have been imprisoned without trial, and subjected to brutal mental and physical torture. The full figures we have are set out below:

* 288 practitioners killed in custody.

* Over 500 practitioners illegally detained in prisons.

*Over 1,000 practitioners abused in mental institutions.

*Over 20,000 practitioners sent to labour camps without trial.

*Over 100,000 practitioners illegally arrested and detained.

Many countries throughout the world have condemned China for this persecution, including the USA, Canada,Australia, New Zealand and the European Union, as have
other institutions such as the United Nations and Amnesty International.

In the light of the terrible acts of terrorism which took place in America on 11th Sept, it is our view that the actions of the Chinese government towards practitioners of Falun Gong in China over the last two years is also considered as state terrorism. Many thousands of people’s lives were directly or indirectly affected by the events of 11th Sept, and the acts of terrorism were rightly given the severest condemnation worldwide. However the actions of China towards Falun Gong practitioners have had an equally serious effect on those suffering at the hands of a brutal regime which will stop at nothing to clamp down
on people who are merely exercising their constitutional right to freedom of belief.

Association of European People Supporting the Freedom Of Belief of Falun Gong Practitioners in China (Friends of Falun Gong Europe)

Falun Gong practitioners follow the principles of ‘Truth, Compassion, Forbearance’, three qualities which should be adhered to by all human beings. Only when mankind learns to live by these moral principles can terrorism be completely eliminated from the world. No form of terrorism should be accepted, including China’s actions in persecuting Falun Gong.

We therefore call upon the Jiang Zemin regime to stop the state terrorism, to stop the killing of thousands of innocent Falun Gong practitioners and to release all the illegally detained, imprisoned and sentenced Falun Gong practitioners in China. We especially call upon the Chinese authorities to release Zhao Ming, a Falun Gong practitioner and a student at Trinity College , Dublin, who is currently in prison in China.

Yours sincerely

Friends of Falun Gong Europe