Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade Office Raises Concerns on Ms. Li Ying's Plight in a Shanghai Forced Labor Camp (Photo)

(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Dafa practitioner, Li Ying, 33 years old, lives in Shanghai. She graduated in 1992 from Tong Ji University in Shanghai with a bachelors degree in business management. She works at the Shanghai Zhonglu Business Management Consulting Corporation. She is the fiancee of Dafa practitioner Lee Cheezong an Australian citizen. In January 2001, Li Ying was arrested and sent to a brainwashing center because she practices Falun Gong. During her detention, in order to resist the persecution, she went on hunger strike, requesting immediate release. She was force-fed and her health condition became critical. Because she had been doing such good work for her company, the company bailed her out.

On October 16, 2001, she was illegally arrested during a business trip to Hangzhou and was sentenced to 2 years in a forced labor camp. The police told her company that she will not be not allowed to work for 3-5 years. Ms. Li Ying is currently imprisoned in Shanghai Qingsong Female Forced Labor Camp.

Since the global campaign to rescue our family members who are persecuted in China started, practitioners from Australia clarified the facts about the persecution to many Members of Parliament. They also post advertisements in local Chinese newspapers to call on all kind-hearted people to reach out and help. A number Chinese people phoned to ask what they can do to help.

It is reported that Ms. Li Ying, although still imprisoned and although she had been deprived of her right to contact people outside for over a year, she had a chance recently to make a phone call to her family. The overseas rescue activity has seen its first effect.

On October 30, Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade Office replied regarding this case. Below is the letter.

Foreign Affairs And Trade

30 October 2002

Mr. Cheezong Lee

Dear Mr. Lee

Thank you for your letter of 7 October 2002 about the plight of your fiancee, Ms. Li Ying, who is detained in China. I have been asked to reply on Mr. Downer's behalf.

Mr. Downer is concerned about Ms. Li's plight, particularly the fact that her detention in China is preventing her from travelling to Australia to be reunited with you. He has therefore asked this department, through the Australian Embassy in Beijing, to raise Ms. Li's case with the Chinese Government, both to seek information on her welfare and to encourage them to show leniency in her case so she can be reunited with you as soon as possible.

You also asked that Mr. Downer raise this matter at APEC. Unfortunately Mr. Downer was not able to attend APEC this year as he had originally planned, owing to other commitments.

Thank you for writing to Mr. Downer about this matter.

Yours sincerely

Signature,

Kyle Wilson

Director

China Political & External Section

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