(Clearwisdom.Net) Falun Gong practitioners were invited to hold a press conference at the prestigious National Press Club on September 7, 2001. Falun Gong spokesman, Erping Zhang, gave the speech. This is the second time since March that a Falun Gong spokesman has given a speech at the National Press Club. The theme of his speech was rescuing detained American permanent resident, Dr. Teng Chunyan. Teng, a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, whose office was on 5^th Avenue in New York City, was sentenced to a three-year term for passing evidence to foreign journalists of psychiatric abuses of Falun Gong practitioners, including documentation of how China's authorities are illegally detaining and abusing those in mental hospitals and elsewhere.

Erping Zhang, the Falun Gong spokesman, called for the U.S. government to take action to obtain Dr. Teng's release and freedom. He said in his speech, "We are pleased that the U.S. House of Representatives has expressed its concern about Dr. Teng in House Resolution 160, and that U.S. senators, such as Senators Brownback, Durbin, Clinton, and Schumer, have also expressed their concern. Now, we fully expect President Bush to use all possible means to ensure Dr. Teng's freedom, including the leverage afforded by his visit to China next month. We also call on the American people to join in

this cause, to help us rescue a fellow American in need, and finally, of course, we continue to call on China's authorities to release Dr. Teng."

After his speech, Zhang answered questions from reporters present at the conference. In addition, he further clarified the truth of why Jiang Zemin's regime has persecuted Falun Gong, discussing the Zhongnanhai event, control of the Internet by the Chinese government and many other subjects.

He also played the Video "Deconstruction": What's the Real Story about the Tiananmen Self-immolations? He hoped that the media present at the conference would take a deeper look at the incident.

Reuters, AFP, AP, the Washington Post, the Voice of America, Yomiuri Shimbun, Radio Free Asia , the Singapore Strait Times, the National Press Club, and some freelance writers in Washington, DC were present at the press conference. Some of them interviewed the spokesman and the Falun Gong practitioners.