(Clearwisdom.net) August 17^th report: on August 15^th, an Epoch Times special dispatch journalist conducted a phone interview with Stuart Patt, a spokesperson for the Consular Affairs Bureau of the U.S. State Department. He said at the meeting held between U.S. and Chinese officials this week in Beijing, U.S. officials again made requests to Chinese diplomatic officials regarding Charles Li.

He said the U.S. government has talked to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding Charles Li and envoys will continue to urge the Chinese government to ensure that Charles suffers no more mistreatment.

Mr. Patt told the journalist that he received an email from Charles Li's fiancée, Ms. Fu Yongqing and he thanked her for it.

It was learned that U.S. Falun Gong practitioners started a month-long car trip around the country that began on August 13, in an effort to rescue Charles. They will visit government officials and media along the way, to gain understanding and support from the people. They will also collect signatures and deliver them to the U.S. State Department.

According to a report on Clearwisdom Net, since Charles Li started a hunger strike on May 27 to protest the illegal prison sentence and being force-fed, he has been force-fed at least twice within a two-month period. Jiang's criminal group frequently uses force-feeding as a means to torture Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Victims have pointed out that the way the persecutors apply force-feeding causes unbearable pain. The Dafa practitioner's esophagus is often ruptured and they are therefore unable to speak. Their lungs atrophy and death is often the result. Force-feeding has led to many Dafa practitioners' deaths in Mainland China.

The health and safety of Charles Li has attracted widespread attention among foreign governments, including the U.S. government.

Posting date: 8/23/2003
Original article date: 8/22/2003
Category: Worldwide Support
Translated on 8/20/2003
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2003/8/17/55735.html

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