(News from 2002-09-04 Edition)

The local branch of Amnesty International has joined a campaign to free a Falun Gong practitioner from a Chinese prison.

Lizhi He, a senior civil engineer with the Construction Ministry of the Chinese Government was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for promoting and being a practitioner of Falun Gong.

It is an ancient spiritual practice combining Chinese qigong exercises, meditation and moral teachings that approximately 100 million Chinese have embraced since it became publicly available ten years ago. The Chinese government banned the practice on July 22, 1999 as a "threat to social and political stability." Since that time, it has attempted to eradicate the practice and has allegedly persecuted those who follow it through brainwashing, torture and even murder, according to activists.

The U.S. House of Representatives and the Canadian government are among those who have spoken against the Chinese government's actions.

Gu, a Chinese practitioner of Falun Gong in Canada who was visiting Bermuda last week, says public officials are literally forced to persecute practitioners.

"Police have a quota to persecute people. If they are able to make people give up the practice they get a bonus," she said. "Police can come into your home any time they want and there is no place to go to appeal... they use any way to force you to give up your beliefs."

She appealed to the Bermuda chapter of Amnesty International to join a letter campaign on behalf of her friend Mr. He.

Amnesty International considers him a prisoner of conscience and is calling for his unconditional release from prison.

The group will be collected signatures tonight at Harbour Nights, to push for Mr. He's release from prison.

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