A Letter from a Former Australian Olympic Swimmer to the Chairman of the Chinese Olympic Committee

Dear Mr Zhenliang He,

I recently forwarded information to you (22/1/2001) regarding Falun Dafa. Pursuant to this, I would like to raise some issues, to which I have also asked the Executive of the International Olympic Committee to respond.

As I previously stated, I am a former Australian Olympic Swimmer Tokyo, 1964. I have always been proud of my Olympic background and all that being an Olympian stands for. I am a professional Human Resources Manager with a reputable Project Engineering Company.

I am also proud to have been a Falun Dafa practitioner for over two years, and cannot speak highly enough of the practice and its positive benefits.

China could have taken a different approach to Falun Dafa, as it really does teach you Truth, Compassion and Forbearance and brings out only the good qualities in people. Falun Dafa is definitely not a political organization. The only interest practitioners have is improving themselves, and aligning their thoughts and attitudes in all facets of their daily lives with Zhen, Shan, Ren, so as to enlighten to the best they personally can.

As you are aware, the fact that so many honors were bestowed on Mr Li Hongzhi by Governments and Non-Government organizations worldwide, plus the fact that the amazing and enlightening practice of Falun Dafa was brought to us by a Chinese person, are things of which China should have been so proud.

I would appreciate your response to the following questions that I have also posed to the International Olympic Committee so as to alleviate my concerns if China is successful in securing the 2008 Olympics.

• Will Falun Dafa practitioners be allowed to attend the Olympics bearing in mind that practitioners may not only be spectators like myself but athletes and officials as well?
• How will the Chinese Olympic Committee guarantee the safety of myself and other Falun Dafa international practitioners attending the Olympics? The number of Falun Dafa practitioners outside of China is steadily increasing and could total hundreds of millions by 2008.
• How will the Chinese Olympic Committee guarantee that our personal belongings such as Falun Dafa books and tapes of the music for exercising are not confiscated on arrival, which is the practice that occurs in China today for International Falun Dafa practitioners?

As I previously stated in my correspondence of 22/1/2001, I am not against the Chinese people being awarded the 2008 Olympics provided all world cultures and spiritual practices are embraced by China. If they are accepting of these issues they will have to change their attitude dramatically in regards to their Human Rights issues.

At present China's approach to Human Rights is quite unacceptable to the majority of countries who compete at the Olympics and totally unacceptable to myself as a former Olympian who has high standards of sportsmanship, morality and ethics. To know that 170 of my fellow practitioners have been brutally tortured to death and thousands imprisoned without trial, treated with extreme cruelty and indignity, just for following their conscience, is heart wrenching.

I look forward to your early response to these very important issues of concern.

Yours faithfully,

Jan Becker