By Björn Sjö

Tuesday, February 19, 2002

Monday the Lunda-citizen Christian Nilsson landed on Kastrup. Exhausted after three days and nights in captivity and a long flight.

"We were arrested on the way to Tiananmen Square in Beijing. All of a sudden the police came and dragged us in to the car. I was brutally forced down to the floor," says Christian Nilsson.

[...]

Even Petter Schiller was arrested at the time... "We heard horrible things about how the cells for Chinese look like."

Christian Nilsson, who is only 21 years old, hasn't been tortured. But three days and nights in uncertainty in the Chinese cell were pressing.

"We asked time after time if we could speak with the Swedish Ambassador. But they police simply ignored us."

Sunday they finally got to meet staff from the embassy. Then they were free to take the first flight home.

Since the two Lunda-citizens travelled by different airlines they didn't come home at the same time. Petter Schiller landed a few hours later, and then told the Sydsvenskan on phone that he felt okay, despite being kicked during the police interrogation.

A third Swede who's also been imprisoned, Ulrik Dahlgren, arrives today, Tuesday.

[...]

"...Christian and Petter went there individually and on one's own responsibility", emphasizes Janette Wästila, spokesperson for Falun Gong in Malmö.

She can't explain why Chinese authorities attack the movement so fiercely. Falun Gong is neither political nor religious...

[...]

Despite ban, imprisonment and torture to death the Falun Gong movement in China is said to have 70 millions adherents.

"But they need our help," says Petter Schiller who can't go back himself. He was expelled for five years.

Posting date: 2/21/2002
Original article date: 2/19/2002
Category: News & Media Reports

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