November 11, 2008: Falun Gong News Bulletin

Monitoring the Falun Gong Human Rights Crisis in China

Press Releases:

FDIC: Torture and Death of Falun Gong Continue, Say Submissions to United Nations
FDIC: Middle-Aged Farmer Dies of Torture

News from Inside Mainland China:

Amnesty International Urgent Action: Fear of Torture, Chen Zhenming (F)
Daily Gazette: Elderly Practitioner Released Thanks to International Pressure

News from Outside Mainland China:

Taipei Times: “Taiwanese Falun Gong members are taking on Hong Kong’s immigration department in the territory’s courts over alleged discrimination”
Sydney Morning Herald: Falun Gong Followers Caught in Dangerous Immigration Catch-22

FDIC: Torture and Death of Falun Gong Continue, Say Submissions to United Nations
November 7, 2008: Human rights groups’ statements submitted to the United Nations Committee against Torture prior to the body’s review of China on Friday highlight the continued torture and death in custody of Falun Gong adherents.

Submissions by Amnesty International, the Conscience Foundation, Chinese Human Rights Defenders, and Interfaith International cite persistent reports of torture and death in custody of Falun Gong practitioners in recent years, as well as the culture of violence and impunity surrounding them.

To read more, including links and sample excerpts of the reports, see: /article/828/?cid=84

For more news on the U.N. hearing, see: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L5353876.htm

http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-36385720081107?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

FDIC: Middle-Aged Farmer Dies of Torture
November 5, 2008: “The Falun Dafa Information Center has learned that a 45-year-old farmer from northeastern China has died as a result of torture after being illegally detained for three months. His fingerprints on a fabricated confession were taken while he was unconscious for an alleged “crime” of carrying 100 Falun Gong flyers. The Falun Gong torture victim, Mr. Dong Liantai, lived in Zhengjiu village in the countryside of China’s northernmost province Heilongjiang. He died after being sent to a labor camp in the provincial capital, Harbin.”

To read more: /article/827/?cid=84

Amnesty International Urgent Action: Fear of Torture, Chen Zhenping (F)
“Falun Gong practitioner Chen Zhenping was arrested without a warrant on 9 July at her home in the city of Zhengzhou, Henan province. Her family have not been allowed to visit her, and it is unclear where she is now held. She is in grave danger of torture.

She was first held for 10 days at Matougang Village Detention Centre, and then moved to Zhengzhou City No.1 Detention Centre. Zhengzhou City Jingshui People’s Court officials told one of her relatives on 10 October that Chen Zhenping had been sentenced to between seven and 15 years’ imprisonment. However, the family have not been served an official notification of a trial by court authorities.”

Daily Gazette: Elderly Practitioner Released Thanks to International Pressure
October 21, 2008: “The release by Chinese authorities of Shizhen Qin, a 67-year-old practitioner of Falun Gong, is being ascribed by her daughter to pressure from New York state….

In an e-mail, [Annie] Li credited the June 6 [Gazette] story with bringing, for the first time, “my mother’s story to the public. I translated your article into Chinese and mailed back to my hometown Chinese officials….I am pleased to let you know that my mother was released, and now she is in our house in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province!”

To read more, see: “Area Efforts Credited with Chinese Move”:
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/oct/21/1021_falun_woman/

Taipei Times: “Taiwanese Falun Gong members are taking on Hong Kong’s immigration department in the territory’s courts over alleged discrimination”
November 2, 2008: Human rights lawyer Theresa Chu (???) has been blocked from entering Hong Kong four times since 2002 at “sensitive” times. Like other Taiwanese Falun Gong followers who have been pulled aside by immigration officers and put on a plane back home, each time Chu had valid travel document. … Once, she said, airport police even strapped her to a stretcher to transport her to her return flight.

But Chu has also entered Hong Kong dozens of times, most recently last month — to appear in court. She is one of a group of five Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners who have taken their grievances to court, accusing the territory’s immigration department of discriminating against them based on their religion.

Sydney Morning Herald: Falun Gong Followers Caught in Dangerous Immigration Catch-22
November 3, 2008: The [Australian] Immigration Department is endangering failed Falun Gong asylum seekers… refugee advocates say…The Herald spoke with three Falun Gong practitioners who have had their claims for protection rejected, and are facing deportation…

The three are caught in a Catch-22 scenario: the Department of Immigration, seeking to deport them, will only issue a bridging visa (removal pending) that allows them to stay if they present travel documents that show their intention to leave Australia. The Chinese consulate will only issue them with travel documents if they spell out the nature of the bridging visa E they are seeking. Fearing persecution from authorities, none of the women want to reveal they have applied for protection from China.