A member of the UC faculty traveled to Geneva Friday for the annual Human Rights Conference where she will appeal to the United Nations to end the persecution of practitioners of an ancient form of meditation.

Adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry Sunny Lu will ask that the United Nations put an end to the imprisonment of those who practice Falun Gong. In particular, Lu will urge U.N. members to secure the release of Charles Li, a U.S. citizen recently detained in China.

Li took a trip to China in January to visit his parents for the Chinese New Year and to tell them of his recent engagement. As he stepped off the plane at the airport in Guangzhou, however, Li was arrested and taken to a prison in Yangzhou, more than 1,000 miles away.

According to Lu, Chinese officials have kept Li in isolation, allowing him only brief visits with a U.S. consular official. He has not spoken with his family or fiancé since his arrest Jan. 24.

Chinese authorities have charged Li with sabotage of radio and television broadcast systems in Yangzhou, according to a U.S. embassy spokeswoman. He faces up to 15 years in prison.

But Lu believes these are "trumped up" charges, created by the Chinese government as an excuse to arrest Li. "In a trial over there, they can say anything they want," she said. "They make up their law as they go along."

Followers of Falun Gong describe it as "a way to improve the body, mind and spirit that consists of exercise, meditation and teachings that are rooted in the ancient Chinese culture."

Falun Gong uses slow-moving, fluid exercises as well as aspects of Taoism and Buddhism to focus on its core principles of truth, compassion and forbearance.

Because of its growing following in China, the communist party sees Falun Gong as a threat, said Jiwu Wang, who practices 20 different types of meditation including Falun Gong. China banned the practice of Falun Gong in 1999, [...]

"It scares the communist party because so many practice it. Their constitution says freedom of religion, but really you only have freedom to believe in the communist party," Wang said.

Currently, there are 610 confirmed deaths due to police torture of Falun Gong practitioners, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center. It is this kind of violence Lu hopes her efforts will bring to an end.

"I feel very strongly that we have to make all efforts that we can," she said. "I was also put on a list. I feel like the next (arrest) could be me."

So far, the effort to cease the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has gained significant support in Congress. Eighty-three congressional representatives have signed a letter addressed to the embassy of the People's Republic of China expressing their concern about the country's religious persecution and requesting Li's immediate release.

Lu recently attended a public rally in Washington, D.C. that aimed to stir up support for her cause. Her trip to Geneva is the next step in the process, she said. At the conference she will present a petition, which includes approximately 500 signatures of UC students.

"This effort is about liberty and freedom of expression," Lu said. She added that everyone has the power to help. "Write to the Chinese consulate, write to your representative or your congressman. Say no to this persecution."


http://newsrecord.tuc.uc.edu/read.asp?ID=12850

Category: Falun Dafa in the Media