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Falun Gong practitioners protest on behalf of man imprisoned in China By Justin Palk, Times Staff Writer Thursday, September 18, 2003 A small group of Falun Gong practitioners traveled to Westminster Wednesday afternoon,
demonstrating their system of physical exercises as part of a nationwide campaign on behalf of an
American citizen who is serving a three-year prison term in China. The demonstration was in support of Dr. Charles "Chuck" Lee, a resident of Menlo Park,
Ca., who was arrested in China this past January, and is being held in Nanjing prison, said Karen
Hong, one of the event's organizers. A group of Lee's supporters has been holding a series of rallies and demonstrations across the
country, trying to raise public awareness about his situation, and gather signatures for a petition
to which will eventually be presented to the U.S. State Department, she said. This particular group
had been in Frederick and Hagerstown earlier, and planned to continue east, to Bowie and Annapolis,
in coming days. Lee's intent in returning to China earlier this year was to visit his parents and to help spread
the word about the Chinese government's crackdown on practitioners of Falun Gong, Hong said. Falun Gong is a form of meditation and exercise. Hong said it benefits practitioners' mind, body
and spirit. [...] Lee was arrested this past January in China, where he was charged with sabotaging radio and
television broadcast equipment, said Kelly Shannon, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department's
Bureau of Consular Affairs. Lee's supporters claim he was arrested as part of the Chinese government's crackdown on
practitioners of Falun Gong. He was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison, Shannon said. Consular officials observed the trial, and have met or spoken on the phone with Lee 11 times in
the past four months. The consulate is continuing to monitor his welfare while he remains in
custody. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C. said he had no information on Lee. http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2003/09/18/news/news7.txt Posting date: 9/21/2003 |