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