On Friday, three New York residents told the story of their relatives who are currently imprisoned in China for their belief in the banned practice. The event was held on the steps of City Hall and was hosted by the Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners. Close to 50 community members came to show their support.
Ms. Yu Wang told the story of her 61-year-old mother who was arrested on Feb. 1.
Ms. Wang said that, according to the information she has received, her mother was distributing leaflets in Tianjin City about the persecution of Falun Dafa, when she was arrested by police and placed in a detention center.
“She received no trial, no documents, or any fair legal process,” Ms. Wang said. “My family was told by police that my mother is facing one year and three months of ‘re-education through labor.’”
“What does re-education mean?” Ms. Wang asked. “They want her to believe the lies that they have told the whole world, distorting the truth about China’s appalling human rights.”
“My mother is not a criminal and she has done nothing wrong. She has the right to follow her belief and she has the right to tell people the truth about Falun Gong. These are fundamental human rights,” she said.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the ruling regime in China, launched its persecution against Falun Gong in 1999. A state-run poll, taken shortly before the persecution was launched, found that between 70 and 100 million people were practicing Falun Dafa in China. It has been speculated that the large number of people practicing is what incited the communist regime to launch the persecution. Others have speculated that, similar to the CCP’s persecution of Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, and others, the practice’s emphasis on moral values is not in line with the party’s principles.
An investigation launched by international human rights lawyer David Matas and former Canadian Secretary of State David Kilgour, has verified much evidence that the CCP is currently using Falun Dafa practitioners as sources for live organ transplants, killing them in the process.
Ms. Wang continued that she is able to stand here, in America, and speak about the arrest of her mother “but you have to remember that there are thousands and thousands of families in China that don’t have this chance,” she said.
Another speaker, Ms. Shuangying Zhang told the story of her family back in China. On July 16 last year, more than twenty police broke into her parent’s apartment and took both of them to a detention center.
“My mother was put on probation later, but I haven’t’ been able to know anything about my father’s condition since then. He is not allowed to contact any family members or friends,” Ms. Zhang said.
She said that both her parents practice Falun Dafa and are in their late 60s. Her father, Xingwu Zhang was a professor of physics and her mother, Pinjie Liu is a retired secretary.
“Even before this, they have suffered terrible persecution for many years. They have been detained many times, including a three-year labor camp sentence. In the labor camps they were forced to perform hard labor duties for at least 17 hours a day.” Ms. Zhang said.
She said that her father was tortured with sleep deprivation and solitary confinement. On at least one occasion he was not allowed to sleep for 12 days.
Also speaking was Mr. Zhi Hua Hu, whose brother has been imprisoned by the CCP for more than 5 years.
His brother, Zhi Min, was arrested in September, 2005. He was found with three DVDs about the persecution of Falun Dafa.
“That is the so-called crime. The content of the DVDs is about the true story of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China,” Mr. Hu said.
Following his arrest, both his home and his parent’s home were searched by Chinese police.
“Without any legal procedure, Zhi Min was sent to Jianzhou Jail in Liaoning Province for a four year term,” Mr. Hu said.
During his detention, his brother protested, yet was force-fed by police. According to reports by the Falun Dafa Information Center, force-feeding procedures often involve the feeding of feces or pepper sauce.
Mr. Hu said that his brother has been crippled from torture. “He cannot walk and has to use a wheelchair,” he said.
“I’m deeply worried about Zhi Min’s health condition. Many Falun Gong practitioners are struggling between life and death in jails in China. I truly believe that international support and exposure of the cases will help to release these innocent Falun Gong practitioners, including my brother, Zhi Min Hu.”
