March 30, 2002
Hong Kong Police
Complaint Department
Dear Mr. Sir/Madam:
We are writing to you from Canada. "Friends of Falun Gong Association of Canada" is a Canada-based non-profit organization of individuals who firmly support and advocate for freedom of belief and other human rights. Friends of Falun Gong seeks in particular to free the Falun Gong prisoners of conscience in the People's Republic of China and to end the brutal persecution. To do this, FoFLG intends to obtain broad support for this cause, and to raise international awareness about the rights violations in the persecution of Falun Gong. Why Falun Gong? Currently, human rights abuses committed against Falun Gong are the most systematic and widespread violations of any group in China, and the persecution continues to escalate at an alarming pace. As members of the free world who cherish basic freedoms, we feel compelled to extend our help. We invite all who share in this vision to join us.
Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) is just an exercise and meditation system that is good for both health and well being. The practice is based on the characteristic of the universe, Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. Practitioners follow these principles in their daily lives, having the effect of improved family relationships, work ethic, motivation and general overall happiness. Falun Dafa is enjoyed by over 100 million people in over 50 countries worldwide. The founder of Falun Gong, Mr. Li Hongzhi, has received over 800 proclamations, congratulatory letters and letters of support from all over the world (please see http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/special_column/recognition.html). Unfortunately, in July 1999, the President of China began a nation-wide suppression of the group due to its rapid increase in popularity in only 7 years. Since that time, Falun Gong practitioners in China have been experiencing an extremely severe persecution. According to incomplete figures, to date 388 Falun Gong practitioners have been killed in the persecution, more than 500 practitioners have been illegally sentenced to prison terms, more than 1,000 practitioners have been forcefully sent to mental hospitals, over 20,000 have been sent to labor camps without any legal proceedings, and more than 100,000 have been arrested and detained. Many practitioners continue to be beaten and tortured by police and separated from their families, while tens of millions of family members, relatives, friends, and colleagues have been affected by the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Despite this brutal treatment, practitioners have continued to peacefully appeal and clarify the truth about Falun Gong. Their compassion and tolerance have touched people everywhere resulting in two consecutive nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize as well as the awarding of the Religious Freedom award from Freedom House, the oldest Human Rights organization in all of North America. Actually, it is Jiang Zemin that is violating the law and the International Human Right's covenant by initiating this persecution. Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution allows freedom of speech, of assembly and of demonstration.
We write to you today to express our concern about this persecution being extended into Hong Kong. The "One Country, Two Systems" policy must be upheld and respected. Hong Kong citizens must not be subject to inhumane treatment and have their safety threatened.
In March 2002 Falun Gong practitioners went to the Chinese Liaison Office in Hong Kong to appeal in response to Jiang's escalation of the persecution in China. Recently, Jiang ordered for practitioners to be shot in the street as soon as they are identified. This "Kill without Mercy" order is very serious. (So far, we have received unverifiable information that more than 5000 Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested, and more than 100 have been beaten to death since Jiang's order has given out!) The Hong Kong practitioners had permission to be at the Liaison Office. In addition, we understand that they were peaceful and well ordered.
After using force to arrest the practitioners sitting outside the Chinese Liaison Office, Hong Kong police falsely charged 16 practitioners with obstruction. The charge against innocent practitioners is shocking and regrettable. We understand that the hunger strike was held on a sidewalk that was 30 feet wide outside the Chinese Liaison Office, that the practitioners only occupied a few feet and that there was still enough space to enter the office's main entrance. This means that there was no inconvenience caused to the passersby or the office staff when they entered or exited the building - so where is the obstruction?
The video footage and other evidence show that the appeal was peaceful from beginning to end (to view video footage and pictures, please see http://www.faluninfo.net/DisplayAnArticle.asp?ID=5438) However, the police department dispatched dozens of police officers, who used violent and excessive force, including pressing on the practitioners' foreheads while they were sitting, clutching their necks, forcefully twisting their arms, and pressing their acupuncture points behind their ears. The violence resulted in injuries to many practitioners.
It was said that some Hong Kong authorities knowingly violated the law, went against the spirit of the rule of law, trampled on the duty that the people entrusted them with, and also ruined the international prestige of Hong Kong's respect for human rights. We request that the Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region Government withdraw all charges against the practitioners. We also hope that the Hong Kong people will offer their understanding and support to the just actions of the practitioners and help them to find justice.
Yours truly,
Friends of Falun Gong
Association of Canada
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Category: People in China Awaken to the Truth
