London Councillor’s Letter to the Chinese Ambassador in the UK

After Harrow Council in London, UK passed the motion condemning the Chinese authorities for persecuting Falun Gong practitioners in China, Mr Ma Zhenggang, the Chinese ambassador in the UK was deeply annoyed and even wrote a letter to the Mayor of Harrow, trying to distort the facts and the truth of the persecution. Councillor John Nickolay answered Ambassador Ma Zhenggang’s letter as follows:

Ma Zhenggang
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
49-51 Portland Place
London W1B 1JL
18 Feb 2002

Dear Ambassador:

I have read with dismay your letter dated 11th February to His Worship the Mayor of Harrow in response to this Council’s motion regarding religious intolerance in mainland China.

Even as your letter was on its way to us the media was reporting further incidents in Beijing and I enclose copies of press cuttings in case they have not yet been drawn to your attention.

With the greatest of respect your letter misses the point. Not only were we drawing your attention to the despicable way followers of Falun Gong have been treated. Our Motion referred to the persecution by way of harassment, arbitrary detention, unfair trials, torture and murder inflicted on the adherents of many faiths and movements.

There is an abundance of goodwill in Harrow and the United Kingdom generally towards the people of China, much of which is rooted in the alliance that was forged in resisting the brutal aggression of the Japanese Empire more than 50 years ago.

British citizens take our freedoms so much for granted and overlook the sacrifices made over the years to secure them. As someone whose male lineage stems from Mother Russia I rejoice in the new-found freedom that the people of the former Socialist Republic of Eastern Europe and Asia now enjoy. I wish with all my heart that your Government will soon feel mature and confident enough to grant basic human rights, including freedom of worship, to people of all faiths in all of China including Tibet.

Yours sincerely