September 2, 2003

Chuck Beckley/Daily News

Tony Dang demonstrates Falun Gong during an awareness rally held at Jacksonville City Hall. Behind him are several images surrounding the Falun Gong controversy. (Lower left corner) American Dr. Charles Lee has been detained by the Chinese government for trying to expose the persecution of Falun Dong.

Tony Dang's brother spent nearly two years in a Chinese labor camp before being released in 2002.

His crime? Petitioning Chinese leaders to end the persecution of practitioners of Falun Gong, an ancient Eastern exercise that uses slow, graceful movements to sharpen mind and body.

Dang doesn't know what happened to his brother, Zhenhua, during his imprisonment, because his relatives have been unwilling to discuss it for fear of retribution from Chinese authorities.

Their phones have been tapped, Dang said, and their e-mail is monitored by a Falun Gong crack-down agency known as "6-10."

"What happened to him is still a mystery," said Dang, a researcher at Duke University.

But Dang suspects his brother was tortured like thousands of other Falun Gong practitioners were and are, according to human rights organizations.

Nearly 800 people have been confirmed killed by Chinese authorities for practicing Falun Gong since the crackdown began in 1999, and many others remain in prison.

Voices of protest in China are being muffled, Dang said.

So Falun Gong supporters in the West are trying to become the mouthpiece, and they're going as far and wide as they can to make that voice loud.

The movement made its way to Jacksonville City Hall on Monday, with Dang and a handful of demonstrators performing Falun Gong exercises and passing out literature.

They're traveling throughout the state, part of nationwide "Coast-to-Coast Rescue Drive" aimed at raising awareness and prompting government action.

The poster child is Dr. Charles Li, an American citizen arrested eight months ago after traveling to China to protest Falun Gong oppression.

He is serving a three-year term for his "intention" to expose the torture and imprisonment, his supporters say.

They want him released immediately. The rescue drive will end at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., where petitions collected throughout the drive, as well as resolutions passed by state and local governments, will be delivered to officials.

The group is waiting for a response from city leaders on whether they will pass a resolution on the issue.

"(Li) broke the so-called laws to save people's lives," said Al Whitted, one of the demonstrators.

"To me, he's a hero because he knew full well what could happen.

"Through Dr. Charles Li, people can understand the larger picture of what's happening. But at the same time, we want his immediate release because his life is on the line."

Whitted said the Chinese embassy has told leaders in Washington that Falun Gong has political motives and is a threat to the communist government.

But Whitted said practitioners have no political or religious agenda.

Though there is a spiritual element to Falun Gong, it is not a religion with a membership or worship centers, Whitted said.

China's former leader, Jiang Zemin, was threatened by the 100 million Chinese practitioners, Whitted said.

"It went against the communist, atheist ideology," Whitted said.

Though out of power, Jiang still controls the 6-10 Office, human rights organizations like Amnesty International report.

Still, the state-run media is working to conceal information about how Falun Gong prisoners are treated, Whitted said.

"They're doing everything they can to control the media inside and outside China to hide the genocide," he said.

The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution last year calling for China to end the persecution and for an investigation into the human rights violations alleged.

With an American citizen in custody, Whitted hopes even more action can be taken.

"This does affect all Americans who stand up for freedom of speech, freedom of expression," Whitted said.

"I've made a decision that I have to do something. I have to make a stand, be their voice and do something to stop this."

A petition is available online at www.rescuecharles.org, and more information can be found at www.faluninfo.net.

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