(Clearwisdom.net)
Prague, May 4th 2002
Dear Madame Zhang Cuiying,
I have received your letter and your beautiful gift. Please accept my sincere thanks. Whenever I hear of the Chinese government's treatment of Falun Gong practitioners, I feel sad and shocked. I want you and all the others who have suffered from violence, suppression and persecution because of your belief to stand up together with firmness. Art links people together around the world, promoting unity and encouraging one's responsibility for others. With your paintings, you can attract people's attention to the unrighteous and illegal persecution. Hence, the present situation can be improved. In this way, you can launch into a necessary dialogue. I promise to you that whenever I encounter opposing opinions, I like to solve the problem with dialogues rather than conflicts. I benefit a lot from the principle. The simple principle could work in People's Republic of China.
As a Czech president and citizen, I have always been concerned about China's human rights conditions. Whenever there is a chance, I will raise the question about the human rights conditions in China. I believe human rights principles based on respect for others not only apply to some countries but also hold general meaning in human civilization. If the world still cannot generally accept these principles, we will never feel satisfied.
I appreciate your efforts, and I am very delighted to have the chance to become familiar with your art. I hope that you can continue creating beautiful paintings. I wish you a happy future.
Thanks.
Vaclav