By LOLA ALAPO, alapol@knews.com

July 4, 2003

Xueyuan Wu doesn't know whether her 68-year-old mother is alive or dead.

Attempts to reach Lingweng Zeng in China by letters and phone have been unsuccessful, Wu said, because the government won't tell her to which forced labor camp her mother was taken for "re-education." Zeng, a retired physicist, isn't allowed to receive family visits.

Wu and her husband, Bei Gou, who along with Zeng are Falun Gong practitioners, also know they can't return to China.

"Our names are probably on a black list," Wu said during a visit to Knoxville on Thursday during a cross-country trip to draw attention to the fate of Chinese followers of the ancient practice.

"If we go home, chances are we will be arrested right away," she said.

Zeng is among hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners who have been or are being persecuted in China. According to Amnesty International's 2003 report, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners continue to be detained, and many are at risk of torture and ill treatment if they refuse to renounce their beliefs.

By the end of 2002, total alleged deaths in custody reached 500, the Amnesty International report states.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient Chinese self-cultivation practice used to improve mental and physical wellness through a series of exercises. The practice is based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

The practice, which was originally taught in private, was introduced to the public in 1992 by Li Hongzhi in China. In 1999, the Chinese government began to crack down on its followers because of its immense popularity. Many have been imprisoned, tortured and killed, Wu said.

So Wu and Gou, both 35, began a crusade to draw attention to the suffering of Falun Gong followers.

The couple embarked on a 2,000-mile 11-city car tour, starting in Albany, N.Y., in an attempt to raise awareness and also try to enlist the support of government officials across the country. Their final destination is Dallas, where both hope to start academic jobs.

The couple visited Knoxville Thursday in an effort to visit with Mayor Victor Ashe and other elected officials. They were unable to speak with Ashe but did share their story with Marie Alcorn, public information officer for the mayor's office, and left an information packet with her.

"We're encouraged by the public's voice and the government's support," Wu said, because it has put pressure on the Chinese government. As a result, some prisoners obtained early release, Wu said.

"If more people know what's happening in China, then the pressure can be felt," she said. The Chinese government "doesn't want to lose face."

Their next stop is Nashville, and they will continue to cities such as Memphis, Little Rock, Ark., and St. Louis until they reach Dallas. Gou has taken a position as an assistant professor of electrical engineering at University of Texas-Arlington.

Though their new lives beckon, they can't escape the haunting knowledge that many still suffer in China.

"Our hope is just to raise awareness of the public," Gou said. "We want to get help from them."

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_2087529,00.html