(Clearwisdom.net)
Embassy of the United States of America
2 Xiushui East Street, Beijing, China 100600
Phone: (86-10) 6532-3431
Fax: (86-10) 6532-3178
Congressman Fortnoy Pete Stark
California
By Fax
March 3, 2003
Re: Charles Lee [another spelling for Li]
Dear Congressman Stark:
This is in response to your letter of February 7, regarding
the detention of American citizen Mr. Charles Lee.
We are aware of Mr. Lee's case, and are doing everything
possible to ensure his fair and humanitarian treatment. One of the most
important tasks of the Department of State is to provide assistance to U.S.
citizens incarcerated abroad. We stand ready to assist incarcerated citizens and
their families within the limits of our authority, in accordance with
international law. Americans who travel to foreign countries are subject to laws
and legal procedures that often differ significantly from those in the United
States. Accordingly, we make available to those detained overseas information
about local lawyers. Unfortunately the Department of State cannot serve as legal
representative for incarcerated Americans. Likewise, we have neither the means
nor the authority to establish guilt or innocence.
Upon notification of Mr. Lee's detention, a U.S. consular
officer visited him to offer consular assistance. The consular officer saw Mr.
Lee at his place of detention, ascertained that he has no immediate health
problems, provided a list of local attorneys, and obtained his authorization
concerning release of details of his case through the Privacy Act. The U.S.
Consulate General in Shanghai will continue to maintain frequent contact with
Mr. Lee, and is closely monitoring his situation to ensure that he is treated in
a fair and humanitarian manner. The Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in
Beijing, and the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai have all raised his case
with Chinese authorities and will continue to do so.
On the topic of Falun Gong generally, the United States has
been vigorous and consistent over the last several years in pressing China at
every level to stop oppressing the Falun Gong. We have raised our concerns over
China's repression of the Falun Gong repeatedly with senior Chinese authorities
both in Washington and Beijing. At the December 2002 session of the U.S.-China
Human Rights dialogue held in Beijing, and at the previous session held in
Washington in October 2001, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human
Rights and Labor Lorne W. Craner raised numerous cases of individuals detained
for Falun Gong activities, and called for the release of all those held for the
peaceful expression of their spiritual or religious views. Ambassador-at-Large
for International Religious Freedom John V Hanford and U.S. Ambassador to China
Clark Randt have also raised, and will continue to raise, our deep concerns over
the detention and mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
The U.S. Embassy has made clear on numerous occasions our
strong opposition to the detention of individuals solely for peaceful
association and assembly. The steps the Chinese government has taken to restrict
freedom of thought, conscience and belief are deeply disturbing. These rights
are protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We have documented our concerns in our
annual country reports on human rights practices and on international religious
freedom, which can be found on the State Department website:
www.state.gov .
We will continue to raise these issues with the Chinese
government through diplomatic channels, in addition to making our position clear
in public statements.
I hope this information is useful.
Sincerely,
John Daniel Morris,
Consul General
