Patricia McKenna
European Parliament,
ASP 8 G 154,
Rue Wiertz,
B-1050, Brussels.
Tel: 02 2845140.
Fax: 02 2849140.

Excellency,
The Ambassador of the People's Republic of China
Fax: 02 7714131

21 November 2001.

Your Excellency,

A matter of very serious concern has come to my attention and that is why I write to you now. I have heard that 33 western Falun Gong practitioners were arrested yesterday in Tiananmen Square, including an Irish citizen.

I understand that these practitioners held a peaceful demonstration which lasted seven minutes before being arrested by the Chinese authorities. The 33 western practitioners come from all over the world and include European Union citizens from Ireland, France, UK, Sweden and Germany.

I was very concerned to hear that one of the practitioners was injured by police during the arrest. These practitioners are being held by the authorities solely because of their expression of their beliefs. I know that in the past many Falun Gong detainee's have reportedly been tortured and in some cases deaths are said to have occurred because of torture and ill treatment by the police. China signed up to the UN Convention Against Torture in 1988 and is therefore obliged to investigate all allegations of torture and bring those responsible to justice.

I strongly urge you, Your Excellency, to ensure that these western practitioners, and the Chinese practitioners currently being detained, are released as soon as possible. I also urge you to ensure that no one is persecuted by State authorities in China for peacefully expressing their beliefs.

Yours sincerely,

Patricia McKenna MEP.