(Clearwisdom.net)
February 3, 2003
Mr Joseph Caron, Ambassador
The Canadian Embassy
19 Dong Zhi Men Wai Street
Chao Yao District
Beijing 100600
People's Republic of China
Dear Mr Caron:
Re: Urgently Request to Help Rescue Falun Gong Practitioner Mr Charles Li
I am a Falun Gong practitioner in Toronto. On behalf of the Falun Dafa Association of Canada, I am writing to you to seek your kind assistance on behalf of Mr. Charles Li, who is being detained in China.
Charles Li, a U.S. citizen and also a Falun Gong practitioner, arrived in Guangzhou on January 22, 2003. He was immediately arrested at the airport and then transferred to Yangzhou Detention Center in Jiangsu Province. We believe that Mr. Li was detained because he believes in Falun Gong. Mr. Li is one of the local contact persons for teaching Falun Gong exercises in his hometown of Menlo Park, California. His name is apparently on the blacklist collected by the Chinese authorities.
We had news that Mr Li would be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. It is absolutely unacceptable for a person to be arrested simply for his personal beliefs.
China has recently arrested a few foreign citizens who are practicing Falun Gong. Nancy Chen, an Australian citizen, visited her family in Sichuan province before Chinese New Year. She was tracked and then detained by Chinese police in Chengdu on January 22, 2003. She was arrested solely because of her belief of Falun Gong. With the help of the international community and Australian government, Nancy Chen was released on 30 January 2003.
The persecution against Falun Gong has been going on for more than three and a half years in China. As of today, 560 Chinese Falun Gong practitioners were persecuted to death in Chinese police custody. Since November 2002, we have received about 50 individual reports of Falun Gong practitioners persecuted to death. With escalating reports of death, we have grave concerns about the safety of Charles Li. We believe that he is in danger of being tortured.
Although Charles Li is a U.S. citizen, the United States government has an obligation to rescue him and ensure his safe return. We also believe that if Canada and other countries can join the effort, it will definitely help rescue Mr Li. This will also send a clear message to the Chinese authorities that world government leaders will not tolerate the random arrest and persecutions of foreign citizens.
We are confident that the Canadian Embassy has the capacity to extend its help to Mr Li.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your immediate attention to this matter.
Yours truly,
Falun Dafa Association of Canada
Cc:
The Honourable Bill Graham
Minister of Foreign Affairs
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa K1A 0G2
E-mail: Graham.B@parl.gc.ca
References:
http://faluninfo.net/displayAnArticle.asp?ID=6963