National Security Bureau Agents of Jiangs Regime Kidnap Australian Woman
Herbert Lu with his wife, Nancy Chen. Nancy was kidnapped near the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu while visiting her relatives. She is being held by Chinas National Security Department in Chengdu. No response has been received from the authorities holding her.
SYDNEY (FDI) — Agents of China’s National Security Bureau kidnapped Nancy Chen, 34, in Chengdu city, Sichuan province, China, on January 22, 2003.
Nancy is an Australian citizen who lives in Canterbury with her husband, Herbert Lu, and their 6-year-old daughter, Catherine.
Nancy and her daughter traveled to China on January 17 to visit her parents. On January 20, after she went to visit some friends in Chengdu, her family didn’t hear from her again until 6:00am on January 22, when her mother received a call from Nancy, saying: “I have been kidnapped near the American Consulate, Chengdu. They searched and took all my belongings including my passport. Please call my husband and ask the Australian government to save me.”
The line was then cut off. There has been no further contact with Nancy.
Mr. Lu says he has received confirmation that she was taken away by agents from the Chinese National Security Bureau.
Nancy’s daughter was with mother when she was detained.
Nancy’s parents were also contacted by people from the National Security Bureau who threatened them if Nancy’s husband made this incident public in Australia or on the Internet.
Immediately after hearing the news, however, Mr. Lu says he knew he had to act quickly. Mr. Lu contacted the Australian Foreign Affairs Department (DFAT). A spokesperson with DFAT at that time assured Mr. Lu that the Chinese government would be contacted regarding his wife, and that they were obligated to respond within 72 hours.
According to Mr. Lu, Nancy was kidnapped simply because she practices Falun Gong.
Since 1999, Chinese leader Jiang Zemin has carried out a persecution campaign against Falun Gong practitioners, which has recently included escalated instances of persecution targeting foreign citizens and residents as well as interference in other countries (special report).
According to Mr. Lu, Nancy’s mother and brother have since been taken to the police station and interrogated. At the time of receiving the news, Lu said that Nancy’s mother had still not been released. Police also ransacked Nancy’s mother’s home searching for Falun Gong books, tapes and other materials.
Friends say Nancy was aware of the severe persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China but missed her family in China and wished to visit them.
Mr. Lu says that he is very concerned for the safety of his wife and desperately wants his daughter back in Australia. Mr. Lu also says Australian Government officials have assured him they are making every effort to bring his daughter back to Australia, but have still not received a response from the Chinese authorities regarding Nancy.
For more information, please contact:
Tony Dai: 0416 234 095 or Thomas Dobson: 0414 538 115
Web site: www.falunau.org Email: news@falunau.org
