October 22, 2002 07:28 AM ET BEIJING (Reuters) - Human rights groups urged President Bush Tuesday to press Chinese President [...] to free political prisoners and curb abuses against a Muslim ethnic group when the leaders meet in Texas this week.

A group of followers of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, banned in China since 1999, also said they were taking legal action against [China's Communist Party head] through the United Nations for crimes committed during a crackdown on their [practice].

But analysts said Bush was expected to soft pedal on the sensitive issue of human rights to secure China's acquiescence to U.S. plans for possible military action against Iraq.

[The Chinese leader] headed for the United States Tuesday and is due to meet Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, Friday, two weeks before he is expected to step down as Communist Party chief.

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LEGAL ACTION

Eight Falun Gong members said in a statement they had submitted their case against [China's Communist Party chief] and two other Chinese leaders Monday to the U.N. Committee Against Torture, the U.N. Human Rights Committee and the International Criminal court.

The statement said they had faced kidnapping, prolonged incarceration, extortion, forced labor, beatings, torture, sexual assault and the murder of family members as a result of the campaign against Falun Gong.

"We are merely a cross section of the millions who have been affected," it quoted plaintiff Zenon Dolnyckyj, a Canadian citizen, as saying.

"Today's submission marks the beginning of international legal action against those responsible for the brutal and unlawful persecution of Falun Gong in China."

Falun Gong practices a mixture of Taoism, Buddhism, Chinese exercises and its founder's ideas. China banned the group after thousands of followers staged a peaceful demonstration in Beijing to demand recognition of their faith.

Falun Gong members have embarrassed several senior Chinese officials by issuing them with writs while traveling overseas.

LEGAL PROTECTION

The London-based group Amnesty International urged the Chinese government and parliament to improve legal protection, prevent torture and abolish two systems of administrative detention.

Hundreds of thousands of people suffered human rights violations because they lacked legal protection and China had no independent judiciary, the rights group said in a statement.

"In the current economic and social climate in China, violations on this scale cannot be ignored for much longer if China is to continue to develop in a stable social environment," the statement said.

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http://reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=politicsnews&StoryID=1611629