On November 24, 2000, Falun Dafa practitioners in Northern California held a peaceful appeal in front of Chinese Consulate in San Francisco for the release of Ms. Teng Chunyan, a U.S. resident from New York who was charged with leaking state secrets after she helped expose the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

Practitioners carried banners reading "Is Persecuting Falun Gong a State Secret?", "Protest Against Trial of Teng Chunyan" and handed out information about Falun Gong and the truth about the persecution to the public. Even though the Chinese Consulate refused to accept an appeal letter delivered by the practitioners, practitioners said that they would continue to appeal until the crime of persecuting Falun Gong comes to an end.

San Francisco Practitioners

November 26, 2000

On the afternoon of November 24, in the piercingly cold wind, about 100 Falun Gong practitioners in New York petitioned in front of the Chinese Consulate by peacefully demonstrating the Falun Gong exercises. They emphatically asked the Chinese government to immediately stop the brutal suppression of Falun Gong, and also demanded that authorities in China dismiss the illegal trial Teng Chunyan, a Falun Gong practitioner and US green card holder, and to set her free without delay.

Three representative Falun Gong practitioners took an appeal letter to the consulate, which was rejected. At the same time, outside the consulate, some Falun Gong practitioners demonstrated Falun Gong exercises; handed out truth-clarifying materials to passers-by, and collected signatures from supporters. During the one-hour's time, there were more than a hundred people who signed to show their support for Falun Gong, and opposition to the Chinese government's persecution. Practitioners will deliver the collected signatures to US congressmen.

November 26, 2000

From noon to 2pm on November 24th, practitioners from Los Angeles (LA) went to the Chinese Embassy to appeal to the Chinese government for the immediate release of US resident Teng Chunyan. Various newspapers, radio stations and TV media including the LA Times covered the group appeal.

The practitioners told the reporters that the charges against Teng were simply nonsense, and were complete fabrications. Teng's "crime" was gathering facts about the human rights abuses against Falun Gong practitioners, including the fact that hundreds of practitioners are held in mental institutions and are being tortured with drugs; these incidents of oppression are absolute facts, not "information leaks" threatening China's national security. The practitioners also expressed their concern regarding the fact that Jiang Zemin and his cronies are using the government's name to oppress overseas practitioners. They hoped that the public would take notice of Ms. Teng's situation, and help her gain her freedom to come back to the U.S. soon.

When local practitioners heard about the secret trial of Ms. Teng from the Internet in the morning, they decided to go to the embassy and appeal that same day. Although the plan was rushed, more than 30 people managed to come, including one Caucasian practitioner. The whole petition was very well organized; which was even noticed by two plainclothes policemen, who described us as being, "as organized as usual."

The practitioners bought the banners that read, "Teng Chunyan's Coverage of the Wicked is Not a Crime," and "Release Teng Chunyan."

Los Angeles Practioners

November 24, 2000.

(Translated November 26 from

http://minghui.cc/gb/0001/Nov/26/Teng_LA_112600_tongxin.html)

On November 24, the 2nd day of the Thanksgiving holiday, the staff at the Chinese Consulate in Chicago worked as usual. Over 40 Falun Gong practitioners from the Chicago area went to the consulate, petitioning the Chinese government to immediately stop secret trials, and to release a Falun Gong practitioner and U.S. permanent resident Teng Chunyan and other detained Falun Gong practitioners.

Several Western media have reported the news that the Chinese government secretly tried a Falun Gong practitioner and U.S. resident Teng Chunyan, on the charge of "leaking state secrets". Actually, the so-called "leaking state secrets" charge, as well as the charge of "spying" refers to the fact that Teng Chunyan sent information that Falun Gong practitioners in China have been detained and sent to mental hospitals overseas. The Chinese Consulate in Chicago once denied in Chinese newspapers that Falun Gong practitioners in China were persecuted, and blamed the Falun Gong website for spreading rumors. Now, the Chinese government takes "spreading the truth" as "leaking state secrets". Who is right, and who is wrong? It should be very clear.

Reported on November 26, 2000