UK Newsquest Regional Press: Protest over persecution in China

By Sian Davies

January 19, 2005

HUNDREDS of students joined a peaceful demonstration and signed a petition against human rights violations in China.

The gathering outside South-ampton University's Student Union building took many by surprise but scores were willing to add their signatures calling for the arrest of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin for persecuting followers of Falun Gong [...].

One student, Xiaomin Pang, was locked in a cage for four hours in the bitterly cold weather covered in fake blood to get her point across.

Chin Liang, 28, a student at the university has lived in Southamp-ton for two years after fleeing China for practising Falun Gong.

She said: "Falun Gong is a form of [Qigong] and in 1999 there were 100 million people practising it. When Jiang Zemin came to power, he ordered us to stop. I had to sign a contract saying I wouldn't do it any more. I was working as a teacher and lost my job."

Falun Gong is a traditional spiritual discipline which combines exercise and meditation.

The total number of signatures has not yet been counted but runs into hundreds and will be sent to the United Nations.

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