(Clearwisdom.net June 6, 2003) On June 4, to make an urgent appeal for the rescue of Dr. Charles Li and to oppose the Chinese government's atrocities against Falun Gong, practitioners in Washington DC decided to stage a sympathy hunger strike in front of the Chinese Embassy and urge the Chinese government to immediately release Dr. Li.




Falun Gong practitioner Lisa, from Maryland. Western practitioner, Lee Randazzo. Renowned reporter, Jack Anderson.

Since Charles Li was arrested, Lisa, a Maryland Falun Gong practitioner, has carried a display board for his rescue every day, in all weather, and distributed materials on the streets of Washington DC to call for justice. Lisa said, "Charles Li has no other way to make his voice heard; he had to go on hunger strike. I feel very sad about it. Yesterday, when I distributed Dafa truth-clarifying materials, I told people Charles' story and I could not help shedding tears. Many kind-hearted American people consoled me and said to me that my son would definitely be back and they would pray for me. They thought that Charles Li was my son. Although Charles is not my son, I feel that all kind-hearted people in the world are my family members. I will continue my appeal until Charles and all Falun Gong practitioners obtain freedom."

Lisa said that Charles Li was using his life to provide people opportunities to learn the truth.

Lee Randazzo, a western practitioner who joined the hunger strike said, "I never met Charles, but I met his fiancée, who is a very kind girl and loves Charles very much. She hopes that Charles will come back to his home in California as soon as possible. Charles is innocent. He is an American citizen; he deserves to be in his American home. The Chinese government has no right to do what they are doing now. This is really bad. I will try my best to help him come home. I'm on hunger strike for three days (June 4, 5, and 6) to raise awareness about my fellow American, Dr. Charles Li, and his illegal detention in Nanjing Prison. I hope that Americans can band together to bring Charles back."

Renowned reporter, Mr. Jack Anderson, winner of a Pulitzer Prize in 1972, also came to join the appeal. He said, "American citizens' rights are the first priority. This is our government and we expect protection from our leaders. That is one of the major reasons that we have a government. If the government cannot protect you, it does not have much value. My appeal is not only requests the Chinese government stop the persecution, but also urges the American government to protect its people, to protect its citizens."

In a telephone interview with Epoch Times Chinese-language newspaper on May 30, Mr. Stuart Patt, spokesperson of the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the U.S. Department of State said that if Charles Li is injured because of his hunger strike, the relevant Chinese officials would be held responsible.

It is reported that Charles Li was beaten in jail, that his hands were cuffed for a long period of time, that he was forced to watch propaganda videos defaming Falun Gong, not allowed to contact his family members, and not allowed to receive his fiancée's phone calls. He was also force-fed. According to the Falun Dafa Information Center, many Falun Gong practitioners have been killed as a result of force-feeding while on hunger strikes in Chinese prisons and labor camps. The Falun Dafa Information Center has confirmed 720 cases of Falun Gong practitioners' deaths from torture and abuse in Chinese police custody. Seventy-four of those died from being force-fed while on hunger strike.

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Category: April 25 Events