A Letter from Practitioners in China to the President of the United States: Mr. President, Please Help Maintain Justice for the World

We are Falun Dafa practitioners who are being persecuted by Jiang Zemin in China. Because we have a firm belief in Falun Dafa, we have been forced to leave our families and become homeless. We have lost our jobs, our living resources, and all of our lawful rights. We barely survive with the help of other people. We have been held in detention centres many times and have suffered all sorts of torture because we appealed to the government for our constitutionally guaranteed right of freedom of belief.

Now, we have lost everything that we should have. Some of us have been forced to flee from our hometowns to avoid being hunted down and detained. In some families, both the husband and wife are put in detention centres, leaving only seniors and babies at home. Things like this are taking place everywhere in China. As of now, 462 practitioners are confirmed to have been tortured to death; however, the number revealed by insiders is more than 1600.

The killing happens almost everyday, and the ages of people who have been killed by torture range from eight months to over 70 years.

Ever since July 20, 1999, Jiang Zemin has conducted an extensive persecution of Falun Gong and brought great disasters to China. Numerous people have lost their families and loved ones. As President of the United States, you must have heard about this. All sorts of tortures are applied to Falun Gong practitioners at will, yet the police are not even concerned about the possible death they might cause, because they are supported by Jiang. Women are sexually abused, resulting in physical and mental agony. Heavy fines have been levied on poor farmers and their grain has been confiscated, causing crisis in their lives. A large number of Falun Gong practitioners have been detained and subjected to forced brainwashing. The "610 Office," especially set up for the persecution of Falun Gong, continually sends practitioners to labour camps or mental hospitals and detains them for an unlimited time period. The practitioners are deprived of all of their lawful rights. To hold on to one's belief has become a crime. The police can beat us to death without receiving any punishment. On the contrary, they get promoted and rewarded.

Every day, there is news from China about practitioners being severely tortured. In the face of such undisguised evil and outrageous violations of human rights and humanity, what should be done?

Countless valuable experiences in history tell us that we have to resist evil when it appears; otherwise, we are actually indulging it, and this will surely bring disasters to mankind. Therefore, upon hearing of the inhuman torture that Falun Gong practitioners have received, many kind-hearted people throughout the world have stood up to offer their support and condemn the persecution. Their support is one of the major reasons why we have hope today. There are quite a few examples of how efforts from outside China have restrained the dictator in China. Here are some cases in point: The Canadian government successfully obtained the release of Zhang Kunlun, Lin Shenli, and Zhu Ying. The government of Ireland rescued Zhao Ming, and the Australian government saved Zhang Cuiying. The success of those efforts has encouraged us. However, we are disappointed to find the willingness of some governments to overlook the blatant violation of human rights in China. In addition, some of them, out of business concerns or other considerations have even been coerced into suppressing the voices of justice. For example, the Icelandic government blocked Falun Gong practitioners' entry into the country using a blacklist provided by the Jiang regime. Cambodia overtly violated the UN refugee convention by deporting two Falun Gong practitioners, thus endangering their lives. The Hong Kong government held a political trial of Falun Gong practitioners, charging them with obstruction while they were holding a peaceful appeal. Ignoring the law, the judge convicted them. In other countries--even democratic countries--the protests of Falun Gong practitioners against Jiang are often interrupted, especially at the time of Jiang's visit.

Although people in the world have become aware of the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, Jiang's violation of practitioners' human rights grows more rampant and has even been extended overseas. What has led to that? We believe it is because democratic countries have appeased Jiang's evil. Mr. President, as you hold discussions with Jiang, the "human rights scoundrel" (as named by Amnesty International) remember that at the same time Falun Gong practitioners in Chinese prisons and labour camps are being shocked by electric batons with thousands of volts and beaten with iron rods. Rememeber that female practitioners are being sexually abused, and that in mental hospitals, practitioners are being tortured with powerful, nerve-damaging drugs. Can you feel their pain in your heart?

Jiang Zemin is challenging the justice and conscience of all mankind. We have to give him a decisive answer. We have to stop his crimes once and for all. Mr. President, the world is watching you. Please maintain justice for the world.

Sincerely Yours,

Some Practitioners Being Persecuted in China