Wednesday, May 07, 2003

By Marylynne Pitz, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

From left, Emma Jin, Dr. Cailu Xu and Ying Wan demonstrate the practice of Falun Gong, a Chinese form of meditation and physical exercise designed to improve mind, body and spirit, at Point State Park yesterday. (Martha Rial, Post-Gazette)

For the first time in 18 months, Cailu Xu heard his wife's voice on the telephone when he dialed China to speak with his son last weekend.

Xu, a research associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, was elated to learn that his wife, Xiaomei Jia, who also is an engineer, had been released from a forced labor camp for women in Beijing.

Although Xu had written to her, she never received any of his letters, so the couple had no contact for more than a year and a half. Xu communicated regularly with his wife's sister in Beijing while his wife was in prison.

Jia was imprisoned in November 2001 for passing out fliers about Falun Gong, a Chinese form of meditation and five slow physical exercises designed to improve the mind, body and spirit.

Falun Gong was banned in July 1999 after Jiang Zemin, China's president at that time, [was jealous at its widespread popularity].

When he heard his 41-year-old wife's voice, Xu was excited because he felt one step closer to reuniting with her and their 13-year-old son, Tianchu Xu, who lives with an aunt in Beijing.

Xu said yesterday he hopes that his wife and son can obtain passports from the Chinese government and visas so they can come to Pittsburgh.

Although his wife has been released, Xu worries that she is not really free because [...] Party officials and local police officers have told her they will check on her regularly to see if she resumes practicing Falun Gong.

Since arriving in the United States last year for an academic conference, Xu has struggled for his wife's release by lobbying Pennsylvania's senators and officials at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Xu was supported by two close friends and fellow Falun Gong practitioners, Ying Wan of Monroeville, who is pursuing a doctorate in education at Ohio State University, and Hong Ming "Emma" Jin, a software engineer from Shadyside.

All three credited U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Swissvale, with winning Jia's release because he lobbied Chinese officials in Beijing by forwarding Xu's letters and by writing a letter that requested her release.

Jin said City Councilman William Peduto was a big help in obtaining Doyle's assistance. Members of Amnesty International chapters at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh also wrote letters to the Chinese Embassy.

http://www.post-gazette.com/World/20030507freed0507p7.asp

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Category: April 25 Events