March 7, 2003

Iowans will join others from across the nation in Washington, D.C., to plead with officials to release U.S. citizens being detained in China.

The citizens are being detained because of their involvement in Falun Gong, a movement in which people do not smoke, drink, gamble or kill, but do practice yoga-like meditation exercise and promote health and humility.

Practitioners of Falun Gong, have been on the Iowa State University campus and other campuses collecting signatures on a petition to free one such U.S. citizen, Charles Li.

Li, who is a medical doctor in California, was visiting China when he was detained in the airport, and he has been held for about 40 days, although there is no evidence that formal charges have been filed.

Laura Chen, a 1998 ISU graduate, has been collecting petition signatures. So far, 300 people have signed.

"(Charles) is an American citizen; the Chinese police arrested him," Chen said. "The Chinese government thinks Falun Gong is a threat to their power."

The movement, which Chen said did not begin until 1992, has introduced 70 million Chinese people to Falun Gong. This scares the government, Chen said, because never before have so many people participated voluntarily in a system.

Margaret Jiang, another ISU student, will be among those going to Washington, D.C., to lobby for Li's release.

"The problem within China is the authority himself," Jiang said. "The president is very narrow-minded there and only cares about his own power and authority. He feels envious and nervous about the popularity of Falun Gong, and even though there's no evidence of proof to persecute people, they can make up things."

Jiang, who did not begin practicing Falun Gong until she came to the United States, said she is afraid to go back, although she is a citizen there and would like to return.

"It's not just the detention of Charles Li; the Chinese government really tries to reach everywhere and exert their policies," Jiang said.

Not only are Falun Gong practitioners detained, but many are raped, beaten and tortured to death, said both Chen and Jiang. In the past two months, about 60 people have died at the hands of the Chinese government.

"(Chinese police) order (practitioners) to stand outside while they pour cold water over them to freeze them," Chen said. "They tortured a mother and an 8-month-old baby to death. Females are raped, forced to strip and suffer."

Both women said those who practice Falun Gong have no political agenda at all, but simply want to be free to believe in peace.

"We consider others' benefit before our own, even in confrontations," Chen said. "We believe in truthfulness, compassion and forbearance."

In China, Jiang said everyone is taught only the Communist ideology, and the media is controlled by the government, which slanders Falun Gong. Chinese officials use the Internet and secret police to track down practitioners, including any visiting from other countries.

"The Chinese government is trying to send a message to the world that no matter where you are or where you're from, if you practice or support Falun Gong or try to expose human rights violations, you're going to have trouble in China," Jiang said.

Those traveling to Washington, D.C., will spend today and Saturday, March 8, rallying in front of the state department, holding candlelight vigils and protesting detention at the Chinese embassy, Jiang said.

There has been some support of their efforts in Iowa, Chen said, noting that both Iowa Congressman Jim Leach and Leonard Boswell have written letters in support of Li.

"We will not just stop here," Jiang said. "Specifically in Iowa, we'll plan to do more trips around cities and continue to until Charles Li is released and Falun Gong practitioners have freedom."

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