China: Charles Li Sends Greetings to All Practitioners through American Consul

On December 23, a spokesperson for the American State Department, Mr. Stuart Pratt, told the reporter in an interview that American citizen Charles Li, who has been illegally detained in China for nearly one year, had a conversation with the American consul in Shanghai on December 10, 2003. He wanted the consul to pass his greetings to practitioners, to his fiancé, Yeong-ching Foo and to American officials in Shanghai.

Mr. Pratt said that American Consulate officials had contacted the Nanjing prison asking them to guarantee that Charles Li would no longer be abused by prisoners and allow Li to read any book he wanted to read.

Pratt continued that Li told the American Consul in Shanghai that he was still under surveillance and being forced to attend brainwashing sessions, but was not forced to watch propaganda videos. This is the 23rd contact that Charles Li has had from an American official since he was detained.

Charles' friends said that Li was beaten up, sentenced to prison, force-fed, and forced to attend brainwashing sessions since he was arrested last January. In order to let more Chinese people learn the truth, though being tortured, Charles didn't give up his belief.

From the east coast to west coast, kind people are working hard to rescue Charles Li.