Day Seven of Falun Gong Hunger Strike in DC: Family Will Visit for Baby's Birthday

Washington, DC, August 23, 2001 -- The husband and baby of April Zhang, one of the ten hunger strike participants, are coming to DC to visit her. April's husband is very proud of her. The couple will celebrate their daughter's first birthday with practitioners and friends. The planned time of the family visit is 10 a.m. Friday, August 24, 2001. They chose to celebrate in front of the Chinese Embassy in memory of Wang Lixuan, a Falun Gong practitioner, and her 8-month old son Meng Hao. Both of them were tortured to death in November 2000. Meng Hao was found to have been handcuffed on the ankles and hung upside down before death. He was treated in this way simply because his mother did not give up practicing Falun Gong.

Falun Gong practitioners on hunger strike in front of the Chinese Embassy are at a critical juncture in their valiant effort to be the voice of their fellow practitioners in Mainland China, who are being subjected to the government's brutal persecution. Day seven finds them weakened but unbowed. Though they have taken no nourishment for a week now, they remain steadfast in their resolve and in their demand for a peaceful dialogue with the Chinese government, as well as the immediate release of 130 illegally detained practitioners at the Masanjia labor camp.

Since beginning its brutal persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999, the Chinese government has instituted a reign of terror that includes harassment, detention, torture and death. The government's inhumane policies have cost the lives of 268 practitioners in Mainland China. Thousands of others are imprisoned in harsh labor camps simply because of their spiritual beliefs. In these labor camps people undergo severe torture, which often results in death. One hundred and thirty (130) Falun Gong practitioners held at the Masanjia labor camp, the most notorious camp in China, were scheduled for release in July, but the Chinese authorities illegally extended their detention and refused to free them. Having no other recourse, these 130 practitioners went on a hunger strike.

Despite their suffering, their voices were largely unheard throughout the international community. In an effort to give them a voice that could help set them free, practitioners in the United States have taken the extraordinary step of launching their own hunger strike. Five practitioners traveled from Atlanta and Birmingham to Washington, where a local practitioner joined them in front of the Chinese Embassy. The group started the hunger strike on August 17. Additional practitioners have responded, leaving behind the comforts of home. They have come from Connecticut, Rhode Island and Florida. The practitioners continue to sit in peaceful appeal at the park in front of the Chinese Embassy. Embassy officials have responded coldly, refusing to recognize them or accept a letter requesting an opportunity for a peaceful dialogue.

Reporters, please visit the site of the hunger strike (across from 2300 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.) and talk directly with the Falun Gong practitioners. They are students, parents, spouses and others who have come to Washington at tremendous personal sacrifice. You may also call 202/550-0562, 205/422-4330 for interviews.

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Video footage available upon request by calling John at 703-207-9073 or 703-599-9077.

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