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Ireland: Student Calls on the International Community to Help Rescue Parents in China

Aug. 2, 2008 |   By an Irish practitioner

(Clearwisdom.net)The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been illegally persecuting Falun Gong practitioners for nine years. On July 19, Tang Liang, a student from China majoring in Finance at Cork University in Ireland, stated that he had witnessed with his own eyes, his parents, who practice Falun Gong being illegally arrested when he was home on holiday in China. His father is still being detained in the Jinshui Brain-washing Center in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province and his mother is facing a three- to seven-year illegal sentence. He called on the international community to pay attention and offer urgent assistance to rescue his parents.

Tang Liang, 21, said that when was back in China his parents were taken away by the CCP authorities. He told the whole story of how his parents were arrested, "It was on the evening of February 16, 2008. My parents were seen by a plainclothes police officer when they were posting a DVD of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party on a bus stop board. They were detained in a police station at that time. Since then, no relatives, including me, have seen my mother again. Five or six policemen took my father, handcuffed, to my home, then they rummaged through chests and cupboards, searched all rooms, and even under the floor. Finally they took away all Falun Gong-related photos, books, DVDs including a computer. My father, wearing a pair of handcuffs, told me, 'It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it.' In my whole life, I have never seen my parents being maliciously treated like this. But on that night, my kind father was forced to wear a pair of handcuffs. I was extremely sad at that time."

Of his mother's experience, Tang Liang said, "Since then, all my relatives including me have not seen my mother. My mother's attorney has seen her once, but now even he is not allowed to see her. My mother told her attorney, "I have about 50 CDs." If they (the police) discover someone who has more than 100 CDs, they will pass a sentence on him or her. Deceived by the police, my mother signed a statement that she had 124 CDs. The Procuratorate has now arrested my mother and charged her with "Using Falun Gong for the destruction of facilities and law." According to the detention center staff, my mother has collapsed due to high blood pressure. My family wanted my mother's attorney to see her at the detention center but were refused. They allow no one to see my mother. This worries me very much."

Tang Liang' father should have been released within 24 hours but the police have not released him. Instead, they have illegally locked him up in a brainwashing center named "Wanqing Sanzhuang" in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province.

The police said that they would release him on October 1, not until after the Olympic Games.

Later, for fear of being investigated by foreign journalists, they moved the brainwashing center to "Huancui Sanzhuang" in Yingyang City.

In order to complete their task of arresting Falun Gong practitioners and obtaining their year-end bonus, the police have been detaining Mr. Tang's father in the brainwashing center (the number of arrests and sentences are given points and rewards from the Public Security Bureau).

"The CCP authorities have assigned special tasks to their subordinate police departments during the period of the Olympic Games, hoping they will massively arrest people and intensify the sentencing of Falun Gong practitioners. This is related to their year-end bonuses. That's why they refuse to set my father free, and they have him locked up in the brainwashing center. During this period of time, they have captured many Falun Gong practitioners and those who want to appeal for help."

With the arrest notice for his family members, issued by the Jinshui Branch of the Zhengzhou City Public Security Bureau, in his hand, Tang Liang asked the CCP authorities, "What is meant by being 'suspected of using Falun Gong for destruction of facilities and law?' Why are good people who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance sentenced?"

Tang Liang told a reporter, "Regarding how the CCP authorities torture and persecute Falun Gong practitioners in prison, sometimes I dare not even imagine what devastations they are suffering. My relatives not only feared I would get involved in this matter but also were afraid that the CCP authorities would coerce my parents into saying something or doing something they are not willing to, by using me as leverage. (Those who have lived in China all have such experience. These kinds of implication policies have been employed in all political movements run by the CCP.) So I came back to Ireland as soon as possible."

Mr. Tang added, "Using the Olympic Games as an excuse, the CCP is suppressing the voices of any dissatisfaction and objection more intensively, including from my parents. Now I have an opportunity to be in an environment with more freedom. I am calling on the international community to pay attention to human rights in China and also help my parents be freed as early as possible so that they can continue practicing their faith."

Mr. Zhao Ming, who was working on his Master's Degree in Ireland, took part in a peaceful appeal when he returned to China on holiday. He was then illegally detained by the CCP authorities for three years. He was able to return to Ireland thanks to concerted rescue efforts of the international community.

In discussing the situation of Tang Liang' parents being detained, Zhao Ming said, "Since the early part of this year, the CCP has been intensifying massive arrests of Falun Gong practitioners and persecuting this group using all of China's resources."

He added that progress could be made, "If all circles of the EU can engage in overseas dialogues about human rights in China and the many cases being raised, and if western society can question these issues and ask the CCP to release the people they have detained. In fact, the CCP is very afraid of these questions."

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200807/45509.html