My name is Sam, Zhaohui Lu from Cobb County. Today I am very glad to have this opportunity to share my personal experiences of persecution as a Falun Gong practitioner. Falun Gong, is a peaceful meditation practice for mind and body, which promotes physical and spiritual well-being based on the principle of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Now found in more than 50 countries around the world, Falun Gong was first introduced to public by founder Mr. Li Hong Zhi from China. While being widely recognized worldwide, Falun Gong has been under horrendous attack from the atheistic Chinese Communist regime since July 1999. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's leader Jiang Zemin officially launched the persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999, fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party.

I have greatly benefited from practicing Falun Gong. I became more positive, tolerant and compassionate and my life became more focused and meaningful. Also my chronic illnesses like Hepatitis B are completely gone. But like millions of people in China, I was forced to give up my belief in Falun Gong. I was forced to conform to the smear campaign of the state-run media. As a result of my refusing to renounce Falun Gong, I lost my job as a tax auditor with the Shen Zhen Government Tax Bureau in October 1999. In June 2000, I was arrested at the State Petition Bureau in Beijing when I was appealing for the right to practice Falun Gong. I was jailed for almost two months with many other Falun Gong practitioners, innocent, kind, peaceful, law-abiding citizens from all walks of life, men and women, young and old. Some were university professors, some were college students, some were government clerks, some were retirees and some were doctors and of all other professions. During the imprisonment, we were tortured, deprived of sleep and forced to work long hours every day. We were not allowed to retain lawyers.

In November 2000 my wife was arrested on the street when she was passing out fliers telling the truth of Falun Gong to the public. She has been jailed ever since in the Women's Labor Camp of Guangdong Province in Sanshui. She was also severely tortured and forced to work long hours on China's export products. My wife has nearly lost her eyesight due to the torture and malnutrition. The family's medical parole request for her eye treatment has been repeatedly denied by the local authorities.

Our experience is just a tiny part of the stories behind the Chinese communist regime's brutal persecution of Falun Gong. Human rights groups have verified that over 100,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been arbitrarily detained. At least 20,000 have been sent to labor camps without trial. Hundreds have been sentenced to extended jail terms. More than 1000 have been illegally sent to mental hospitals, where they are given forced injections and subjected to inhumane treatment. 505 people are confirmed to have died while in police custody, or as a result of police torture, the youngest being an eight-month baby with his mother, the oldest being a 74-year-old retiree. Government sources inside China have disclosed that the actual number exceeds 1,600. We lost our job, home, family, safety, human dignity, freedom and all the basic human rights. However, there is one thing that we have not lost, and that is our belief in Falun Gong -- truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. We have never returned the violence, terrorism, hatred and prejudice toward the people and government of China.

Honorable US Senators, America is great, because throughout its history, Americans have spoken on behalf of those who cannot be heard, borne witness on behalf of those who cannot testify, protected those who put not only their livelihood but indeed their lives on the line, and stood up for freedom and fought so courageously for justice, for the people around the world and for a better world. What we are witnessing today in China is indeed the 'criminalization of innocence.' I am lucky enough to come to this land of freedom, but millions could not. My wife is still facing imminent threat to her life, and the killings are continuing in China. I am here earnestly appealing to you to join many of your colleagues and write a letter to show your support to the rescue efforts for my wife and many innocent Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China. Your commitment to the principle of freedom of belief will not only be greatly appreciated now but also will be long remembered by all.