Chapel Hill Herald (North Carolina): Chinese oppression hits home for practitioner of Falun Gong

January 3, 2003, Friday

SECTION: Editorial; Pg. 4;

What is happening today in China is no less than what happened in Germany in the '30s and '40s. The only difference is that the dictator of China has the resources and power to bring this persecution overseas. I am a schoolteacher. I grew up in Durham, went to Parkwood Elementary, Lowes Grove Middle, Jordan High and went to Elon University. Now, I go to the Duke Gardens and practice Chinese exercises and practice the principles of truth, compassion and tolerance, thus I practice Falun Gong.

I think the world is not informed enough about the severity of what is happening in China, and how this is spreading overseas. A half-year ago, some local practitioners of Falun Gong tried to go to Iceland to peacefully appeal to Jiang Zemin, China's dictator; they found themselves on a blacklist, secretively collected under Jiang's rule, and were barred from a democratic country.

Who is collecting our names? Am I being watched by Chinese officials right here in Hillsborough? It's unbelievable! Recently, we just went to Houston, when Jiang Zemin was visiting. We had hotel reservations next to the InterContinental, Jiang's hotel.

Suddenly, at the very last minute, our hotel reservations were cancelled. Falun Gong practitioners from America and all over the world were discriminated at Homestead Suites in Texas. What is our priority here, to uphold civil liberties in democratic countries or fall prey to the vicious pressure of a dictator who is persecuting 100 million kind souls?

I feel the scale and scope of this persecution is extremely hateful.

Al Whitted