4 February 2003
Your Excellency
Appeal for the Release of Chan Wing Yuen
We are practitioners of the Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) cultivation system that has attracted and benefited more than 100 million people worldwide in over 60 countries since 1992 when it was introduced in China, and has been honored with more than 800 awards and recognitions in Asia, Europe, Australasia, and North America.
On 24 January 2003, we read with concern from the New York-based Falun Data Information Center (www.faluninfo.net) that a 71 year-old Mr. Chan Wing Yuen was jailed for 7 years for unfurling a banner that reads "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" on the road. Mr. Chan, a permanent resident of Hong Kong who practices Falun Gong, was visiting his family during the holiday season of 2001-2002 in Myanmar.
In July 1999, Chinese leader Jiang Zemin launched a brutal persecution and slanderous campaign against Falun Gong. As of today, 569 Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted to death under police custody in China. Government officials inside China, however, reported that the actual death toll is well over 1,600. Hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced without a fair trial to forced labor camps.
Evidence has been gathered that Jiang Zemin has been pressuring countries around the world through its embassies or consulates to persecute Falun Gong practitioners overseas. The crime of Jiang Zemin spreading his genocide to countries around the world has been strongly condemned by the international community. On January 15, 2003, the Washington Times reported that a lawsuit has been brought against Jiang Zemin for torture and genocide against members of the Falun Gong since July 1999.
The persecution of Falun Gong has already received worldwide attention as governments and international organizations have urged the Chinese government to stop the persecution. On January 22, 2003, the "International Committee to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners" was formed with the mission to "investigate the criminal conduct of all institutions, organizations, and individuals involved in the persecution of Falun Gong; to bring such investigation, no matter how long it takes, no matter how far and deep we have to search, to full closure; to exercise fundamental principles of humanity; and to restore and uphold justice in society."
The practice of Falun Gong shares many similar virtues with those of Buddhism, with which your country has a deep tradition. It is known that people in Myanmar enjoy freedom of belief. We believe the incarceration of Mr. Chan has been made on the grounds of his belief; sentencing an elderly person to 7 years for unfurling a banner is inconceivable. We urge the relevant department in your government to seek an independent redress of the case of Mr. Chan and we hope Mr. Chan could be released if there are no reasons otherwise. The case of Mr. Chan is in the process of being submitted to the United Nations and Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience.
We appreciate your attention to this matter. We hope fairness and justice can be exercised, as this is an issue that concerns your country and your people; we believe that goodwill and support towards truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance, the core principles of Falun Dafa, brings forth blessing to all.
Falun Buddha Society of Singapore
Category: Rallies & Protests
