Letter from UK Falun Gong Association to the UK Prime Minister

25 April 2002

The Prime Minister
Right Honourable Tony Blair MP
10 Downing Street
London SW1

Dear Sir,

SEVERE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN CHINA

We appeal again to you to publicly express your support for the persecuted Falun Gong practitioners in China.

History proves that the world often only finds out about large-scale atrocities when it is too late to help. Now millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China are facing severe persecution and China's media blockade continues to hide it. Following Jiang Zemin’s “shoot to kill” order on 5 March, it's a silent killing spree.

UK Falun Gong practitioners have been on hunger strike outside the Chinese Embassy since 3 April 2002 to draw the attention of the world to this issue. The hunger strike ends today, the third anniversary of the date when over ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners held a peaceful gathering at the China's State Council Appeal Office at Zhongnanhai in Beijing to appeal to the Central Government for the release of the citizens arbitrarily detained by police in Tianjin over the previous two days. China's Premier Zhu Rongji personally came out to meet with practitioners and the situation was resolved peacefully. Despite this, Chinese President Jiang Zemin authored and circulated documents to other government officials stating his belief that some political rival or "mastermind" within the Communist Party's top leaders was behind Falun Gong. Consequently, Jiang equated his ability to "eradicate Falun Gong" with his ability to remain in power, and initiated the crackdown.

The Falun Gong Information Centre has verified details of over 399 deaths since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600. Over 100,000 have been detained, with more than 20,000 being sentenced to forced labour camps without trial.

We really hope that you will now act to help bring about an end to this persecution.

Yours faithfully

Peter Jauhal MA(Cantab) FIA
Chairman