(Clearwisdom.net)
January 24, 2003
Sr. Gen. Than Shwe
Prime Minister of Myanmar
Your Excellency,
Greetings! We are a group of Falun Gong practitioners residing in Washington, DC, USA. The reason we are writing this letter is because we are deeply concerned to learn that a very unfortunate incident has happened in Myanmar.
Based upon a news report from the Falun Dafa Information Center on January 21, 2003, Mr. Chan Wing Yuen, a 71-year-old permanent resident of Hong Kong and a Falun Gong practitioner, was visiting his family in Myanmar during the holiday season of 2001-2002. When he learned that Jiang Zemin, the Head of China, was scheduled to visit Myanmar, he stood quietly by the side of a Yangon road and unfolded a little yellow banner that read "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" as he patiently waited for Jiang Zemin's motorcade to drive by. Unfortunately, under the gaze of the Chinese Embassy, and with presence of neither a lawyer nor family members, the elderly man was secretly sentenced to 7 years in prison and taken away on January 31, 2002. To date Mr. Chan has been in a Burmese jail for more than a year.
We wish to clarify several things to you regarding this incident:
* Falun Gong, an ancient form of qigong from China, is a practice of meditation and gentle exercises suitable for any age group. The practice is based on three simple yet profound words: Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance. Since being introduced to the general public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi, Falun Gong has attracted more than 100 million people in over 60 countries. It is a fact that governments and people around the world welcome and love Falun Gong. However, due to jealousy and fear, Jiang's regime has been persecuting Falun Gong practitioners since July 1999. Jiang abuses his power by utilizing the media, police, and all of the nation's resources to fabricate and spread rumors that Falun Gong practitioners are committing suicide, setting fire to themselves, and causing family tragedies so as to justify his brutal persecution against millions of Falun Gong practitioners and their families. So far more than 550 practitioners have been confirmed to have been tortured to death while under police custody. When Jiang was visiting the United States last October, he was sued in the Illinois US Federal Court for committing the crime of "genocide". The lawsuit is still in progress.
* It has been proven that Jiang's regime has been pressuring countries around the world through its embassies or consulates to persecute Falun Gong practitioners in those countries. Two cases were reported just in the past six months. For example, several Falun Gong practitioners in such countries were kidnapped and deported back to China under the pressure from the Chinese embassies. The crime of Jiang's genocide reaching to countries around the world is being watched by the media and strongly condemned by the international community.
We have attached related information regarding the abovementioned issues for your reference.
Mr. Chan, the 71-year-old Hong Kong resident, is innocent. An old man from Hong Kong who just wanted to say "Truth, Compassion, Tolerance is good!" by unfolding a banner in support of his fellow Falun Gong practitioners in China, and who did not harm or threaten anyone nor damage anything around him, was sentenced to prison for 7 years! This kind of sentence is against the laws of your country. This is against the wills of your people. This is beyond everyone's common sense. This is unbelievable and unacceptable by the international community. Therefore, this case is completely wrong.
Your Excellency, the international community is aware that Myanmar is working hard to improve its human rights and image in the world. This incident, where under the pressure of the Chinese Embassy your government jailed Mr. Chan, has made us deeply concerned. We sincerely hope that Your Excellency could immediately reinvestigate this unfortunate incident and let Mr. Chan regain his freedom. We believe the whole world will be proud to see that your government is on the righteous side to defend basic human rights and make the right decision to against Jiang regime's harassment. Your effort of releasing Mr. Chan unconditionally will win your people's trust and respect from the world. It will also bring a bright future to your country!
Your Excellency, we will keep in contact with you, and we thank you very much for your understanding and help!
Sincerely,
Falun Gong Practitioners Association in Washington, DC, USA