San Francisco, August 30 - On the last day of the 271 hour around-the-clock Bay Area sit-in in front of the Chinese Consulate, Friends of Falun Gong held a press conference at the Radisson Miyako Hotel in San Francisco to pay tribute to the 271 practitioners who have died in police custody during the persecution and to call for the immediate release of Dr. Chunyan Teng, a U.S. acupuncturist and a professor in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Dr. Teng has been illegally imprisoned in China for 15 months simply because she had collected and released information to western journalists of severe mental institution abuses of practitioners. As a result, she was sentenced to 3 years in labor camp last Thanksgiving.

Mr. Alan Adler, the executive director of the newly-formed "Friends of Falun Gong" (www.fofg.org) hosted the conference. "The arrest of Dr. Chunyan Teng never should have happened," said Mr. Adler. "We are calling on the government of the United States of America, to demand of China's leadership Dr. Teng's safe return; let President Bush make his trip to China this October spell freedom for this brave woman."

Both Congresswoman Pelosi and Congressman Lantos' representatives spoke strongly in support of Falun Gong practitioners' human rights. "The oppression of peaceful people practicing their spiritual beliefs must end," said Catherine Dodd, District Director, from Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's office. Margery Farrar, Special Assistant, from Congressman Tom Lantos' office, expressed that with the Falun Gong persecution, China is perpetrating a "mandate from Hell" on the Chinese people, who are good people, and that China and the Chinese people are entitled to a "mandate from Heaven".

Dr. George Lee, Director of the U.S.-Soviet Institute and Professor at San Francisco State University, said "anyone who loves and protects the Chinese people is a patriot of China. Anyone who hates and hurts the Chinese people is a traitor to China. Those who reveal atrocities committed against the Chinese people are patriots. Those who hide atrocities of the Chinese people are traitors; those who commit the atrocities are even worse traitors." He cited examples of patriots in contemporary world history and concluded "Dr. Teng is a patriot of China. For the good of the Chinese people, and for the current Chinese government, Dr. Teng should not be punished; she should be revered."

Stephanie Li, a Bay area practitioner, called in tears for the urgent rescue of her sister, Jianhua Lu, who has been incarcerated in the notorious Masanjia Labor Camp for over 10 months. Failing to break her will, the Labor Camp extended her jail term. Jianhua's life is at great danger.

Amnesty International's China Group representative Kim Singer called "for the full and impartial investigation of all reports of ill-treatment and death in custody, and for anyone found guilty of perpetrating such abuse to be brought to justice."

About Friends of Falun Gong

Friends of Falun Gong is an newly-formed non-profit organization of independent individuals who advocate for religious freedom and other human rights. Visit www.fofg.org