Irvine World News: Council Asked For Help For Citizen Arrested In China

By Laylan Connelly

A group supporting a U.S citizen arrested January in China pleaded with the City Council Tuesday night for support to urge legislatures to make a case for the man's release.

Dr. Charles Li of San Francisco was arrested because he practices a system of exercise and meditation called Falun Gong, which is outlawed in China, and he did nothing wrong, said two speakers during the public comments portion of the council meeting.

"I've come to ask you for help," said Brad Carson, a Lake Forest native who now lives in northern California.

"If we don't stand up against this we can lose face internationally and personally," Carson said.

A flier passed out by the group said that Falun Gong, a system of exercise and meditation, has been outlawed by the Chinese government. Practitioners have been "beaten and tortured at the hands of police, even to death," the flier said.

"We cannot let China determine what we can or cannot believe," said Carson.

The group, who asked people attending the meeting to sign petitions, is arguing that "false charges are being made against him and he is facing up to 15 years in jail. His life could be in danger."

Seven people have been going up and down the California coast on a van tour to ask that city councils endorse letters to the two California senators, and to Colin Powell and President George Bush.

Mayor Larry Agran said that he has heard about the Chinese government's oppression of Falun Gong, and that he would review the file and may be able to sign it as an individual, however no action could be made because the issue was not on the council's agenda.

"I've in the past expressed my concerns about human rights violations in China or anywhere else for that matter. The fact that the Falun Gong group is experiencing continuous oppression, that should be a matter of concern to people everywhere," Agran said.

Carson said Li went to China earlier this year to announce his wedding engagement to his family.

A short description of Li said he came to the United States in the early '90s after finishing his medical degree in China. He has a master's degree in physiology from the University of Illinois. He lives in Menlo Park, where he manages his own business.

http://www.irvineworldnews.com/Astories/mar13/china.html

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