Tuesday, October 9, 2001

Thirteen days and 221 miles after they set out from Detroit, the walkers were exactly where they wanted to be.

Leg-weary, foot-sore and beaming smiles, they assembled on the front lawn of Muskegon City Hall to send a message to the world about justice.

A half-dozen participants in the Walk Across Michigan to Support Justice were in Muskegon Monday to raise public awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. More than 20 people took part in the walk; because of the demands of jobs and other responsibilities, they completed the walk in shifts. Muskegon was the walk's end point

"It was pretty tough, actually," said Jenny Chang, an Internet consultant from Franklin, Mich., just outside Detroit. "But the pain we endured was nothing compared to the suffering practitioners of Falun Gong are experiencing in China."

Their walk across Michigan was part of the SOS! Global RescueWalk, an international demonstration taking place in numerous states and in such countries as Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. The message was in the journey.

Its purpose, walkers said, was to symbolize the courage and forbearance demonstrated by Falun Gong practitioners experiencing state persecution in China.

Human rights groups in the United States and elsewhere have rallied around Falun Gong practitioners, claiming that the crackdown by the Chinese government has left at least 283 practitioners dead because of torture by police.

More than 100,000 others have been arrested, with 20,000 sent to labor camps without trial and about 500 handed long-term prison sentences, Chang said.

Chinese practitioners often face torture by police, she said, including being hanged from the ceiling with their feet barely touching the floor and being left naked outside in the extreme cold.

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