ABC

July 28, 2001 Gina Gaston (host):"...a spiritual practice called Falun Gong. He's recovering in Houston from what he claims was torture for his religious beliefs."

"The story isn't new. In fact, Li Hongzhi, who is the founder of that practice, has left China and now lives in exile right here in the United States."

Camera - Yongjie sitting in a chair and then quickly to a picture of the doctor treating his leg

Bob Boudreaux (host):"Tan Yongjie fled China and arrived in Houston recently with severe burns on his legs, burns he says the Chinese police inflicted for his practice of Falun Gong."

Camera - A crowd of Chinese people walking, presumably in China

"China has outlawed it, and branded it an [Chinese government's slanderous words omitted]."

Camera - In front of the Chinese Consulate, where some practitioners sit

"Just two weeks ago, practitioners here in Houston prepared to march to our nation's capital to protest religious persecution in China."

Camera - Yongjie sitting up in bed

"Today from his bed in the local hospital, Tan Yongjie told his story."

Yongjie through translation:"They tried to force me to give up Falun Dafa, and they burned me with this red-hot iron rod."

Camera zooms in on Yongjie's leg and quickly back out to him sitting up in bed

Bob Boudreaux: "Tan Yongjie says he refused and was brutally tortured. He said the guards no longer saw him as an escape threat because of his injuries, so they allowed him outside the camp. He says he fled to a nearby town and jumped on a truck to Hong Kong."

Camera - A ship goes by

"From there, he says he became a stowaway on a ship to America, eventually making it to Houston, and the Star of Hope Shelter."

Camera - Yongjie and then a sign of the hospital

"His wounds became worse, and he ended up at the Park Plaza Hospital."

Camera - Back to the studio, with Bob Boudreaux

"And at that hospital, that young man is hoping that fellow practitioners are going to help him start over."

WB 39

Yongjie sitting up in bed and talking

Reporter:"Yongjie says the burns came three months ago from guards at a Chinese detention camp. He was sent to the camp for practicing Falun Gong. Falun Gong is an international spiritual movement the Chinese government is cracking down on. Yongjie says the guards at the detention center tortured him because he would not sign documents denouncing Falun Gong."

Translator: They burnt him. They just pressed the iron rod into his leg twice, and afterwards they said, "If you want us to stop, you better sign these documents." And he never said a word during the whole time. And they just kept burning him, burned him a total of thirteen times.

Reporter: Burned legs and all, Yongjie escaped the camp, stowed away on a cargo ship to California, and he hitched a ride to Houston. Supporters are trying to raise money for him.

Atlanta practitioners doing exercises and holding banners

Reporter: In the meantime, followers of Falun Gong across the US have organized peaceful sit-ins like this one today in Atlanta. They're hoping to gain attention from Secretary of State Colin Powell. Powell is in Beijing right now talking to government officials about the missile defense shield. They want him to put pressure on the Chinese government to stop persecuting people who want to exercise and live peacefully.

Fox 26

Studio

Host: Tan Yongjie recovers at a local hospital, after an incredible journey escaping from the Chinese government.

Yongjie sitting up in bed and talking

Host: Tan Yongjie says he was severely burned by Chinese police because he refused to give up his beliefs in Falun Gong, a practice similar to Taichi. After being left to die he escaped to Hong Kong and hid inside a crate on his way to California.

Translator: An elderly man on his way to Florida picked him up and gave him a ride, and dropped him off on I-10 near Houston. At that point he found a policeman, a female officer, who even though she didn't understand (Chinese), took him to the police headquarters.

Host: Tan says thousands of practitioners of Falun Gong are held in labor camps and tortured every day. He says he is one of the lucky ones to escape.

NBC

July 28, 2001

Camera - Yongjie sitting in a chair - Caption "Escapes Torture", camera focuses on his bandaged leg

Reporter: "... was severely burned and beaten by Chinese police for over a month for practicing Falun Gong. That's a spiritual movement banned by the Chinese government, and Mr. Tan managed to escape to Hong Kong and hide in a crate on a cargo ship headed for California."

Camera - Photograph of the doctor removing stitches from his wounds

Reporter: "Once there, he hitched a ride to Houston, where police found him and took him to the Park Plaza Hospital."

Camera - Yongjie sitting in a chair

Reporter: "Supporters for Mr. Tan are now trying to raise money for his medical bills. "

camera - Translator

Translator: "Whether it's organizations or individuals, if they would like to help Mr. Tan, that would be one goal. And another goal is that we would like to get the message out, so that people will find out exactly what is going in China. "

camera - Yongjie sitting up in the bed

Reporter: "And doctors say he will be released from the hospital (today)."

Posting date: 8/4/2001
Original article date: 7/28/2001
Category: News & Media Reports