Australia: Sydney Practitioners Hold a Press Conference Calling for the Immediate Release of Tianjin Practitioner Li Liang

Ever since practitioner Li Liang, brother of Sydney practitioner Li Ying, was illegally abducted in Tianjin on October 2nd, 2004, Australian practitioners have launched an urgent rescue campaign. At around noon on October 5th, Sydney practitioners held a press conference in front of the Chinese Consulate to call for Mr Li's immediate release.

Practitioners displayed a banner reading "Release Australian family member Li Liang"	Spokesman for Sydney's Falun Gong group, David, gave a speech during the conference, the first lady to the left is Li Ying

Details of Li Liang's Case

Li Ying narrated the details of her brother's abduction. On October 2nd, 2004, the second day of China's National Holiday period, policeman Geng Tao of Hedong District Police Sub-Division of Tianjin City came to Li Liang's home at about 3pm. As Li Liang went to work early in the morning, only his elderly parents were at home. The policeman casually chatted with the two seniors, not giving any sign of trouble. At about 4pm, two policemen, who claimed to be from Hebei District Police Department, came in to their house. One was named Song Xiaosheng, and the other Liu Guangtao. They started to search the house. Close behind them were Chen Qing from the Hedong Police Sub-Division, Liu Yuying from the local Residential Committee and another staff member. They searched the house for an hour, but they only found 3 copies of Zhuan Falun [the main text of Falun Gong], one address book and some other Falun Gong materials. As an eyewitness, Liu Yuying of the residential committee signed her name on a Tianjin official Receipt of Withholding Items, and Liu Guangtao and Songxiaosheng of the Security Brigade signed as officers handling the case. Li Liang's parents did not realise that Li Liang was arrested again until the officers came to search their home. Though the exact time of Li Liang's abduction was not clear, they speculated that he was arrested before 3pm of October 2nd.

Tianjin City Public Security Bureau's official receipt of withholding items

Since the morning of October 3rd, Sydney practitioners have been calling all people related to this case. A policeman on duty at Hedong District public security sub-division confirmed that Geng Tao was on duty on October 2nd. An officer on duty at Hebei District public security sub-division also confirmed that Liu Guangtao and Song Xiaosheng belong to their division. However, after receiving a lot of phone calls from practitioners, they started to deny the fact by claiming that the practitioners had reached the wrong number, and said that there was nobody by the name of Liu Guangtao or Song Xiaosheng.

According to Chinese law, within 24 hours of someone's arrest, the family should be notified. However, by the afternoon of October 3rd (more than 24 hours after Li Liang's abduction), police still had not informed Li Liang's parents of his whereabouts. On the afternoon of October 3rd, a policeman on duty at the Tianjin City Public Security Bureau said, "We don't need to inform family members given special circumstances!" However, when questioned by Li Ying, the officer was speechless. Ying said, "What is defined as special circumstances? You arrest and beat up Falun Gong practitioners at will, and you're just using that as an excuse!"

The local residential committee threatened Li Liang's mother, telling her not to spread "false news" to organisations and individuals outside of China. Li's mother said, "I don't know any organisations. My daughter is in Australia, and she cares for the security of her brother. I have to tell her the whereabouts of her brother." The officer then said, "If you spread 'fake news' you will be punished." Li's mother said, "All I have told others is the truth."

At about 4pm on October 3rd, Li Liang's mother went to Wanghailou Police Station of Hebei District to ask for Li Liang's whereabouts. Policemen Liu Shiwei and Yang Jian said that they were just about to send her the warrant of custody. Though Li Liang was arrested before 3pm on October 2nd, the two policemen argued that the arrest only started at 10:55am on October 3rd. They also forced his mother to sign it, threatening that she would not be allowed to bring clothes to Li Liang during the cold weather.

From August 29th to September 29th of 2000, Li Liang's mother was detained for practising Falun Gong. When she was released, a document claimed that she was only detained for 15 days, and the detention centre ordered her to write her "understanding" after detention. She wrote, "What happened to the other 16 days of detention? What should I write about those 16 days? What should I tell others?" The original copy of this "understanding" was confiscated by Liu Guangtao and Song Xiaosheng during the home search on October 2nd.

On October 4th, Li Liang's mother went to the detention center where he was detained with clothes to give to him. However, she was not allowed to see her son.

Explain the Facts and Expose the Persecution

Sydney practitioners have been continually calling Tianjin police to clarify the truth about Falun Gong. A practitioner in her 70s called the Tianjin City Public Security Bureau and told the person who answered the phone about Falun Gong and the persecution. That person could only manage to say, "The impact of Falun Gong is not tangible". The practitioner said, "Falun Gong's impact is very tangible. I had to take all kinds of medicine to control my diseases and now I don't need any of them. Isn't this is a concrete and real benefit of practising Falun Gong? "In the end, the policeman asked, "How should I address you, Sister or Aunty? Do you have any other specific requests?" The practitioner said, "First, release Li Liang! Release all of the Falun Gong practitioners! Please remember, you should treat Falun Gong well..."

Staff members of Li Liang's local residential committee (Tel: 022-26418379) were quite rude. As soon as practitioners called them, they started to curse Falun Gong. By October 4th, however, as more practitioners had called, they were much more restrained and repeatedly said, "This is a residential number." A practitioner told the person who answered the phone, "It is the predestined relationship between us that allowed you to answer my call, and I would like tell you about Falun Gong, please tell this to your local residential community committee."

A person who worked in the police system was surprised after she was told about Li Liang's case. After a practitioner clarified the truth to her, the officer said, "I understand, thank you. I will help you tell more people!"

More Illegal Detention Cases

Li Liang's abduction was only one of the illegal arrests of practitioners during China's National Day Holiday Period.

On September 29th, 2004, Wang Tongchun, relative of a Japanese practitioner, was going to go to Beijing with 6 fellow practitioners, and they were arrested even before they left their hometown, Songyuan City of Jilin province. They were arrested by the National Security brigade of Songyuan Oilfield public security sub-division and beaten up. They were then detained at Youshan Detention Centre of Songyuan City, and Wang Tongchun's house was searched.

At around noon of October 1, China's National Day, police once again brutally attacked a practitioner in Tiananmen Square, and a lot of tourists witnessed the attack.

Li Ying narrated the details of her brother's detention	Recounting the story of a practitioner being attacked in Tiananmen Square on October 1st, 2004