The Epoch Times

Feb 12, 2005

Ms. Yeong Ching Foo, Dr. Lee's fiancée, talks at NYU about how Lee is being abused in a Chinese prison. (Benjamin Youngquest)

NEW YORK - Why has a U.S. citizen been held and tortured in a Chinese prison for over two years now, and why have all efforts to have him released and returned home failed? These were the questions that became immediately relevant at the "Free Dr. Charles Lee" press conference held at NYU's Kimmel Center last Tuesday night.

The press conference was hosted by NYU's Falun Dafa Club, who planned the conference in an effort to spread the word about Dr. Lee's situation.

Charles Lee went to China in 2002 with the intent of letting the Chinese people know the truth about the genocide that its government is conducting against its own people- people who practice the spiritual practice Falun Gong. Falun Gong activists have said that his actions were comparable to an American going to Nazi Germany to illegally broadcast to the German people the truth about the extermination of the Jews.

The Chinese authorities immediately arrested Charles upon his arrival in a southern China airport and charged him with "intending to sabotage cable TV in China." They ushered him through a kangaroo court, and before he knew it, he was sentenced to three years in a labor camp prison. Despite numerous written appeals and worldwide efforts at diplomacy, Charles still remains imprisoned.

Ms. Yeong Ching Foo, Dr. Lee's fiancée, said Charles has had to endure beatings, sleep deprivation, and brainwashing with anti-Falun Gong propaganda. On the verge of tears, she related how Charles had a tube forcibly inserted in his body, from his nose to stomach, with the tube left in for more than 33 hours.

Yeong Ching left the audience with an image, "China is like a big gangster that is raping a little girl, who is powerless."

Many efforts have been made over the last two years to rescue Charles. Calls have been made and letters written, videos produced and petitions signed. The U.S. Consulate in China has been working endlessly to get Dr. Lee released and a "Rescue Charles" Web site has been built.

Recently, two U.S. Congressmen, Rep. Anna Eschoo and Rep. Tom Lantos penned a letter to the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C., requesting that Charles be released on medical parole in light of his recent, failing health. No response has been forthcoming from the Chinese officials.

Ms. Li Li, executive director of the Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners said, "Unfortunately, the U.S. State Department has not spoken out very strongly."

"The [U.S.] government is giving a lot of attention to China's economic power. They have a lot of business interest in China," said Li, "We are not against trading with China, but we do believe that we cannot sell out by forgetting the freedoms and human rights that are important principles of this country."

Independent filmmaker and Falun Gong practitioner Michael Mahonen pointed to the lack of media coverage as an obstacle in the efforts to free Charles. "Over these past years the media has not responded. It's shocking and it's shameful," said Mahonen, "We've sent hundreds of press releases, we've made the phone calls... The major media are not reporting on it."

Source http://english.epochtimes.com/news/5-2-12/26405.html