Press Releases and Media Reports
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VOA: China Detains American Falun Gong Member
2003-01-31'Falun Gong spokeswoman Sophie Xiao in Hong Kong expresses dismay over Mr. Lee's detention. Ms. Xiao said the charges against Mr. Lee could carry a penalty of 15 years in prison. "We really feel shocked because this persecution is not only being applied to Chinese citizens," she said. "Now the persecution against the Falun Gong has extended to foreign nationals."' -
ABC (Australia): Australian released in China after embassy move
2003-01-31'Ms Chen disappeared last week while visiting her parents in the city of Chengdu in south-west province of Sichuan. The embassy sent two consular officials to Chengdu yesterday after confirmation she had been detained by police. Chinese officials have made no public statement about her arrest.' -
Reuters: China Detains U.S. [Falun Gong Practitioner], Frees Australian
2003-01-31'China has detained an American follower of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, accusing him of sabotaging television and radio broadcasting systems on the mainland, the U.S. embassy said Thursday...He denied the charges but could be jailed for up to 15 years if found guilty of hijacking the airwaves and cables to broadcast Falun Gong material.' -
DJ (Dow Jones International News): Hong Kong Activists Slam Planned Anti-Subversion Law
2003-01-30'Critics fear the government's proposal will subject Hong Kong to mainland-style tactics. Some say the Falun Gong [group], outlawed in mainland China [ ] although it remains legal in Hong Kong, could be targeted.' -
SCMP (South China Morning Post): Concessions granted on security laws - The government tries to ease the public's worries about freedoms but its critics seek more changes
2003-01-30'The Bar Association and the Journalists Association said their previous concerns about the protection on human rights and media freedom had not been addressed. The Falun Gong said the proposal remained a threat to its operations in Hong Kong. Democratic Party leader Yeung Sum dismissed the amendments as superficial.' -
FDI: U.S. Citizen Held in China for Practice of Falun Gong
2003-01-30Charles Li, a U.S. Citizen was detained at Guangzhou Airport shortly after landing there on January 22, 2003. He was then transferred approximately 1,000 miles away to the Yangzhou Detention Centre in Jiangsu Province...Two days later, Chinese authorities officially notified the U.S. consulate that Charles will be charged with sabotaging T.V. and/or radio equipment -- a charge that, according to a U.S. official in Shanghai, could mean up to 15 years in prison. -
ABC (Australia): Australian woman detained in China & Embassy confirms Australian detained in China
2003-01-30'Two Australian embassy officials in Beijing have been dispatched to southwest China to investigate the detention of an Australian woman...Ms Chen was supposed to be visiting relatives, but rang her mother last week to say she had been kidnapped, before the phone dropped out.' -
C-News (Canada): Hong Kong scales back planned subversion law following public outcry
2003-01-29Tens of thousands have protested against the law, which has drawn criticism from business leaders and foreign governments in addition to the usual human rights activists who grumble that Hong Kong's government acts like a puppet to Beijing. -
The Standard: Concerns remain as Article 23 law tamed
2003-01-29Falun Gong spokesman Kan Hung-cheung said retention of the proposal on proscribing local organisations made them all the more worried the government would persecute them..."It's becoming more obvious that the intention of the legislation is to suppress Falun Gong and other local organisations according to the wishes of the mainland government," -
Epoch Times: Chan Wing-Yuen Secretly Sentenced to Prison in Myanmar; Washington DC Dafa Practitioners Call for His Release (Photo)
2003-01-28'On January 31, 2002, he was secretly sentenced to a heavy term of seven years in prison without the presence of his attorney or family. He is currently imprisoned in a jail in Rangoon. The illegal imprisonment of Mr. Chan is actually the result of Jiang regime's pressure on Myanmar authorities.' -
AAP NEWSFEED: Australian officials searching for missing woman in China
2003-01-28'The AFP news agency said the woman, whom it named as Nancy Chen, had called her mother early on Wednesday to say she had been kidnapped.' -
The Weekend Australian: Sydney Falun Gong mother disappears in China
2003-01-28'Falun Gong practitioners from Australia and other countries have frequently been detained in mainland China in recent years before being deported. They have complained of brutal treatment and beatings by police.' -
The Economist: Caught in the net
2003-01-28'In addition to blocking sites, the Chinese government has deployed a range of other technical tools, from sophisticated monitoring of e-mail traffic and chatrooms to hacking attacks and viruses aimed at hostile websites. But even more effective has been its encouragement of self-censorship among internet service providers, content companies and users.' -
Swedish Newspaper Ludvika Nya Tidning Reports on Falun Gong
2003-01-27I am very grateful for them being here to show us this practise, said one of the participants. I have tried some other systems before, but this one was "powerful". And I really hope that we can have a practice site here in Ludvika. -
The Australian: Hunt for Aussie missing in China
2003-01-27A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokeswoman said the women's family had contacted consular officials to report her disappearance..."We've been advised by the family that she's disappeared and we're investigating with the local authorities," she said.