On November 17th, 2004, the An-San City Senate unanimously passed a resolution requesting China to release Ms. Gao Chengnu, a Falun Gong practitioner who is the wife of Korean citizen Mr. Kwack Byung-ho. Ms. Gao is currently being held at the Jiamusi City Forced Labour Camp in Heilongjiang Province after being arrested in May, 2004.
This resolution came just 2 weeks after a resolution passed by the Chungcheongnam-do Legislature, while the Cheonan City Senate unanimously passed the first resolution of this kind on September 13th 2004. In the name of the leader of the Ah-San city senate, the resolution has been forwarded to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Governor of Heilongjiang Province, Mayor of the City of Jiamusi, and the Head of the Jiamusi City Forced Labour Camp in Heilongjiang Province.
Ms. Gao Chengnu, an ethnic Korean woman from China, married Korean citizen Mr. Kwack Byung-ho on May 18th, 2003 in China. When Ms. Gao Chengnu submitted the paperwork to go to Korea, her passport application was denied several times by the Chinese public security institutions because she refused to give up her practise of Falun Gong. She was then unlawfully abducted on May 7th, 2004.
In response to her detention, the non-governmental organisation "Gao Chengnu Rescue Committee" was established on August 14th, 2004 in Korea. To rescue Ms. Gao, in cooperation with Falun Gong practitioners and other human rights groups, the organisation has been holding anti-torture exhibitions and signature drives around the nation. To date, more than 70,000 signatures in support of practitioners have been collected.
Below is the translation and image of the resolution passed by Ah-San city senate on November 17th, 2004.
Resolution of the Ah-San City Senate
Urging the Release of Ms. Gao Chengnu, the Wife of a Korean, Who Is Illegally Detained by the Chinese Government
We, all members of the Senate of Ah-San City, are deeply sorry for Byung-ho Kwak, a Korean, who lives in Cheonan City, Chungcheongnam-do, and whose Chinese wife Gao Chengnu has been illegally detained in a Labour Camp in the city of Jiamusi in the Province of Heilongjiang since May of 2004 solely because she is a practitioner of Falun Gong. We strongly support the activities of "Gao Chengnu Rescue Committee" for struggling to release Gao Chengnu.
We, all members of the Senate of Ah-San City, strongly support the resolutions unanimously passed by the city of Cheonan on September 13 2004 and by the Legislative Assembly of Chungcheongnam-do on November 2 2004 respectively regarding the release of Gao Chengnu.
We, all members of the Senate of Ah-San City, believe that the formal marriage of Ms. Gao Chengnu and Korean citizen Byung-ho Kwak doesn't have any conflict with Chinese law and China has no reason to imprison her for her belief in Falun Gong. We urge your relevant authorities to take measures to release Gao Chengnu as soon as possible.
The life of Korean citizen Byung-ho Kwak's wife, Gao Chengnu, is in danger due to suffering severe torture and interrogation. We, all members of the Senate of Ah-San City, are highly concerned over this as being a pressing situation and once again we urge your relevant authorities to release Gao Chengnu unconditionally and ensure that she leaves China for Korea safely.
Head of the Assembly of Senate of Ah-San City,
Republic of Korea (Signature- Stamp)
November 2nd 2004
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