20-07-01, 17:14

Amnesty International has once more called on the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Brian Cowen to pressurise the Chinese government to release Falun Gong practitioner and Trinity college student Mr Zhao Ming.

Amnesty International's Mr Sean Love said China had a long way to go to improve their human rights and he called for the release of all Falun Gong practitioners including Mr Ming.

Mr Love said more people have been killed in China compared to the total number of killings in the rest of the world combined over the last three months.

At the Falun Gong practitioners seminar today, the Friends of Zhao Ming spokesman, Mr Jim Dowling said Mr Ming had returned to China for the Christmas holidays last year and never returned to Ireland. It was reported that he was arrested and imprisoned in various prison labour camps where he was tortured.

Mr Dowling said Mr Ming was forced to undergo brainwashing sessions and forced to stand still for up to 18 hours a day by labour camp officers.

Mr Ming first came to Ireland in March 1999 and enrolled in Trinity's Computer Science Department. He tutored undergraduates and gave night classes in Falun Gong. The Friends of Zhao Ming believe the Chinese government persecuted Mr Ming because of his belief in Falun Gong.

Mr Dowling appealed to the "Irish public and Irish government to press the Chinese government to release Zhao Ming and other Falun Gong practitioners in China, and to stop the crime against humanity by Jiang Zemin's regime."

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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2001/0720/breaking61.htm