Washington Post: China Arrests Foreigners at Rally, Group Protests Violence Against Falun Gong

Nov 21, 2001
From Reuters at 6:54 AM

BEIJING--China expelled foreign followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement on Wednesday, a day after they unfurled a banner on Tiananmen Square in a protest against Beijing's [persecution] on Chinese believers.

Seven Swedish members of a group of 35 protesters were put aboard a flight for Stockholm, Sweden's Ambassador Kjell Anneling told Reuters.

The U.S. embassy confirmed that six Americans detained after the demonstration were expelled and a Swiss embassy spokesman said three Swiss citizens and one Spanish national with Swiss residence were also kicked out.

Australians, Canadians, French and Germans--all part of the multinational protest group--were either expelled or on their way out, according to diplomatic sources. By Philip P. Pan Washington Post Foreign Service Wednesday, November 21, 2001; Page A19

BEIJING, Nov. 20 -- Chinese police detained about 35 foreigners who unfurled a banner in Tiananmen Square today to protest the government's violent [persecution] on the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement. Police repeatedly kicked and hit at least one protester after forcing him into a van.

The demonstrators, including American, European and Australian members of the group, posed as tourists milling about the square before gathering [...]

Some held up a large yellow banner emblazoned with the words "Truth, Benevolence, Forbearance," the Falun Gong [principle], while others sat in the lotus position, shut their eyes and pressed their hands together [...].

Despite frequent international criticism of China's human rights record, foreigners rarely attempt to stage protests on Chinese soil, much less in Tiananmen, the country's political heart. Similar protests by Chinese members of Falun Gong occurred almost daily less than a year ago, but a state campaign of torture and intimidation has made such demonstrations increasingly uncommon.

Seconds after the foreigners converged, police vans surrounded the group and officers began forcing them inside, dragging several along the pavement and roughly lifting others off the ground. Three officers chased and tackled one demonstrator, who had broken free and run toward a crowd of Chinese onlookers while shouting, in Chinese, "Falun Gong is good!"

At least one police officer punched a protester repeatedly in his back as he forced him into a van. The officer could be seen continuing to pummel and kick the man before the van drove away. But police used less force than they have against Chinese members of the Buddhist-like group, refraining from drawing their batons, for example.

[...] Falun Gong says more than 50,000 believers have been sent to prisons, labor camps and mental hospitals, and about 300 have died in custody.

"We are here to appeal on behalf of tens of thousands of innocent people who suffer imprisonment, torture or even death at the hands of their own government in China," said a statement from the protesters issued by Falun Gong organizers based in the United States, who notified a few Western reporters in advance about the protest. "And we are here to appeal to China's leaders and to seek an end to the violence and terror they have waged against Falun Gong for 2 1/2 years."

China's state-run media said the protesters had been ordered to leave the country, but it was not known if they remained in police custody tonight.

[...]

It was unclear what impact, if any, the protest might have on the Chinese public, [...]

Some Chinese bystanders in Tiananmen today [...] expressed bewilderment. "Foreigners believe in Falun Gong too?" one asked.

[...]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60955-2001Nov20.html

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