(Clearwisdom.net)

On January 28, State Senator Larry Pogemiller of Minnesota met with three Falun Gong practitioners from Minnesota to discuss the rescue of Falun Gong practitioner Wan Cheng's mother, Chen Jingjiang. Ms. Chen was arrested in early 2001 when police illegally searched her home and found Falun Dafa materials. She has been held in custody for over two years, and is currently detained at the Wuhan Baofong Street Women's Prison in Wuhan City, Hubei Province. Ms. Chen's family has been able to make contact with her only a few times in the past two years. Wan Cheng is a Ph. D. candidate at the University of Minnesota, majoring in Electronic Engineering.

Senator Pogemiller already had a good understanding of Falun Gong before this event. He wrote a letter to the former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura prior to the Governor's visit to China, asking him to urge the Chinese government to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. This time, when Senator Pogemiller heard about the extended imprisonment of a practitioner's mother, he expressed deep concern. Senator Pogemiller often visits China. He stopped at Wuhan City, Hubei Province on his recent visit to China last December. Senator Pogemiller said that he will write to senior officials in Hubei Province, including the Governor of Hubei Province to demand the release of Ms. Chen Jingjiang. He will also ask other senators to co-sign the letter and voice an even stronger voice for justice. At the same time, the Senator expressed that if he was to visit Wuhan City again this summer, he would hand-deliver his letter to the leaders of Hubei Province and consider paying Ms. Chen a visit in prison. Practitioners are grateful for his warm support.

February 3, 2003