By James Quirk

2/19/02

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP -- Three New Yorkers who say they were detained in China for protesting the persecution of the Falun Gong faith urged President Bush yesterday to rebuke China for human rights violations.

At a news conference, Bart Carlucci, 29, formerly of Colts Neck; Scott Chin, 31, and Sterling Campbell, 37, described their experience after they marched in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, on Thursday to protest the Chinese government's treatment of Falun Gong practitioners.

[...] Rep. Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J., an outspoken critic of China's human rights policies, said last week's incident is simply another chapter in the Chinese government's senseless war on Falun Gong.

"If you go to Tiananmen Square and unfold a banner that says 'Democracy,' you'll be arrested," Smith said. "What most Americans continue to fail to realize is that China is a police state, with a Gestapolike army and police force. There are no due process rights."

The three men were among 35 Americans in the group of 68 who demonstrated that day. As soon as police realized they were Falun Gong, they were arrested.

"We were corraled like animals and thrown into a van," Carlucci said. "We had no idea what would happen to us."

All three men said they were shuttled to various detention centers before they were placed in a hotel room in an unknown location. They said they witnessed Chinese police officers beating and psychologically abusing the Falun Gong practitioners.

Carlucci said the Americans were not abused as harshly as their Chinese counterparts and were released the next day. All three men said they plan to contact the State Department today.

"You might wonder why so many people outside of China work to tell the truth of Falun Gong," said Michelle Gonzalez, a Falun Gong practitioner from Manalapan. "We do this because the Chinese government locks every avenue to the truth, so the Chinese people are unconsciously allowing this persecution to go on."

Gannett News Service contributed to this story.

http://www.app.com/app2001/story/0,21133,515069,00.html

Posting date: 2/20/2002
Original article date: 2/19/2002
Category: News & Media Reports

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