Aired on January 19, 2003 @ 6:35 pm

When the world seems on the brink of possible war, human rights violations don't often make the headlines, drowned out by the drums of war. But this past week, protestors worldwide held quiet vigil in places like Chinatown calling for an end to the killing in China. It's a story of religious tyranny and spiritual resilience. It's the story of Falun Gong.

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JOSHUA RUBENSTEIN: "Amnesty knows well over 100 people who have been killed under torture in China. We know that many families have been torn asunder. People have been sent to mental hospitals, there have been attempts to brainwash people away from Falun Gong."

LAURIE KIRBY: What is Falun Gong?

HAIYING HE: Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese meditation system. An exercise similar to Tai chi. The second part of this system is its principle called Truth-Compassion-Tolerance.

LAURIE KIRBY: Dr. Haiying He is an unassuming man, with a resume as impressive as his ardor for his cause. Originally from mainland China, and now doing biomedical cancer research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, he spends his free time fighting to free imprisoned Falun Gong followers in China. His mother, father, sister and brother were thrown into jail and labor camp for distributing Falun Gong flyers in China.

HAIYING HE: If you insist to practice and do not renounce your belief in Falun Gong, you can be put into labor camp or jail or the mental hospital. That's what's going on in China.

LAURIE KIRBY: Joshua Rubenstein with Amnesty International says Falun Gong practitioners threaten the Chinese regime because they are independent of it.

JOSHUA RUBENSTEIN: You're not allowed to do things in an independent way from the government. And if the government recognizes your [practice], and you practice that religion within a framework that Chinese officials acknowledge and authorize, that's ok. But if you do it outside of their authorization, then you can be charged for reprisal, and that's what's happening to Falun Gong.

LAURIE KIRBY: In 1999, Falun Gong was banned in China and despite the threat of persecution, torture and even death, today, there are 70 million followers of the [...] practice. Dr. He's family survived their ordeal, but the watchful eye of communism keeps them in its constant gaze. But still they refuse to surrender their faith. Dr. He hopes pressure from American citizens in the form of letters to Secretary of State Colin Powell and phone calls to the Chinese embassy will help win freedom for Falun Gong followers in China.

HAIYING HE: You can call them and say, "Hey, you cannot do that anymore. You've got to stop because the world is watching." That actually helps because the bad people who do the bad things, they are scared also."

Laurie Kirby, WBZ News Radio 1030