October 16, 2002

Dear Ms. Gamrecki:

Thank you for your letters to the Department concerning Falun Gong practitioners in China. We are of course deeply concerned about China's human rights record. This Administration is making an enormous effort to bring about change in China and in other countries that continue to oppress people seeking to exercise their right to free speech, religion and assembly.

The U.S. has repeatedly called on China to permit the free exercise of religion in China and has raised the issue of human rights violations in China in numerous international forums and in direct discussions with Chinese officials. The U.S. State Department's report on human rights practices of 2001 notes the intense repression of Falun Gong, the deaths of 200 practitioners of Falun Gong in detention and the efforts to "re-educate" practitioners.

President George W. Bush is strongly committed to democracy, human rights, religious freedom and worker rights. These values define who we are and we will continue to promote these universal values.

Sincerely,

Michael Magan

Associate Deputy Under Secretary