United States: Four American Congressmen Write to Hu Jintao, Requesting the Release of Fu Yong'an and His Wife Liu Xianglan

On July 30th, 2007, four congressmen from the State of Washington wrote to Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, and Zhou Wenzhong, the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, asking for the release of Fu Yong'an and his wife Liu Xianglan, who have been jailed for one year because they practise Falun Gong.

Fu Yong'an and Liu Xianglan

Letter from the congressmen

On March 19th, 2006, Fu Yong'an and Liu Xianglan, two Falun Gong practitioners, were illegally arrested at their home at Tsinghua University, Haiding District, Beijing. In July 2007, Fu Yong'an was sent to Tuanhe Forced Labour Camp in Daxing, Beijing, and Liu Xianglan was sent to the Women's Forced Labour Camp in Daxing, Beijing.

Since their arrest, many American government officials and citizens have called upon the Chinese government to release them.

In September 2006, Senator John Cornyn requested that the US Embassy in Beijing investigate the case with Chinese officials.

In March 2007, Senator Paul Shin from Washington State wrote to Zhou Wenzhong, the Chinese Ambassador to the USA, and to the labour camps, asking for the couple's release.

Many American citizens have signed their names on petitions calling for the release of Mr. Fu and Ms. Liu. CBS has interviewed their daughter, who lives in the United States.

In February 2007, police officers in Beijing interrogated the couple's son, demanding to know through what channels he sent information about his parents to people overseas and to Falun Gong website.

On July 30th, 2007, four congressmen from Washington State, Jim McDermott, Rick Larsen, Adam Smith and Jay Inslee wrote to Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, and Zhou Wenzhong, the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, asking for the release of these innocent people.