Amnesty International has documented the violations of human rights in China for several years. Our organization has closely monitored the Chinese authorities' persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. All of our documents may be found on the following page: www.amnesty.org/library.
Amnesty's Danish Section has received Liu Xiaotian's appeal and we hope that the information provided by Amnesty can serve as a reference for you to deal with Liu Xiaotian's case further. In this document we will give an account of whether or not the practitioners of the Falun Gong movement have reason to fear persecution in China. Attached are several of Amnesty International's reports, all of which pertain to the situation of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Falun Gong practitioners have been a target of suppression in China for many years. Falun Gong was banned as a heretic organization in July of 1999. In a report from 2000 (AI Index ASA 17/11/00, dated 23rd of March 2000), Amnesty International wrote that the Chinese authorities claimed Falun Gong was a serious threat to the social and political stability in China, and for this reason this form of religious practice was banned in the country in 1999. After the ban was made effective, the Chinese authorities have nationally and locally conducted a campaign directed against Falun Gong practitioners, and furthermore, against members of other organizations considered as heretic. The access to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and freedom of belief is extremely limited in China, and every public practice of Falun Gong is banned, as well as the spreading of knowledge about Falun Gong.
According to Amnesty International's reports, ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners have been subjected to arbitrary detention by the police. Many of these have been subjected to torture or other kinds of mistreatment; furthermore, a lot of people have died while in police custody under uncertain conditions and without being examined by the authorities afterwards. Amnesty International has documented several occurrences of Falun Gong practitioners being admitted to psychiatric hospitals by force, being detained over periods ranging from a couple of days to several weeks, and even being forced to take medicine against their will. In 2004, Falun Gong practitioners are still heavily exposed to suppression in China; for instance, being detained at will, tortured or other forms of mistreatment while in custody of the authorities.
Amnesty International knows about the children of the Falun Gong practitioners who have been executed without trial. Our organization therefore cannot exclude Xiaotian Liu of becoming at risk of being detained and even tortured if he returns to China. There is reason to assume that Xiaotian Liu has reason to fear persecution if he maintains or expresses sympathy for the Falun Gong movement, or if he seeks further information about the cause of the death of his parents. Amnesty International has received several reports about the arbitrary imprisonment of relatives of Falun Gong practitioners who have sought information about the detention of their relatives. Various sources state that the Chinese authorities are seeking to supervise Chinese citizens' actions abroad, especially members of the Falun Gong movement.
Furthermore, Amnesty International has knowledge about several other sources with documented atrocities committed against Falun Gong adherents. A recent report from The Global Mission to Rescue Persecuted Falun Gong Practitioners (see attachment) describes how five or more children, aged eight months to seventeen years old, have died in connection with the persecution of Falun Gong adherents in China. According to the report, approximately 1047 Falun Gong practitioners have died in connection with persecution from the side of the authorities, and many more have been detained because of their belief as of September the 18th 2004.
Amnesty International has issued several reports describing China's failing capacity within the judicial system. This failing capacity is remarkable within the police and the judicial bodies, and there is a lot of political interference within judicial cases. Bribing of police and other public employees is widespread. The failing safety of law in China makes it impossible to make a precise forecast of the Chinese authorities' reaction to a given case.
In Amnesty International's annual report in 2004, we stated that members of unofficial spiritual or religious groups continue to be arbitrarily detained, tortured and otherwise maltreated in China. In recent years, the official media has enhanced the criticism of the Falun Gong movement. Apparently, this has intensified the violence and intolerance in Chinese society regarding the Falun Gong practitioners. Practitioners of Falun Gong being detained, including many women, are at risk of torture and sexual abuse, especially if they refuse to renounce their belief. Falun Gong sources inform that more than 800 persons detained in connection with Falun Gong have died since 1999, mainly as result of torture or other mistreatment.
Amnesty International has no thorough knowledge of Xiaotian Liu's case. However, it is very probable that Liu's parents have been killed, and that if Xiaotian Liu were to return to China, he may be subjected to atrocities in the form of detention and torture as described above. If Xiaotian Liu is presently an active Falun Gong practitioner, his risk of being persecuted will increase.
Amnesty International wants to emphasize that the information contained in this letter should only be used in connection with the processing of the case regarding Xiaotian Liu.
Yours sincerely,
L.B.
Asylum Coordinator
Amnesty International Danish Branch.