(Clearwisdom.net) According to Radio Free Asia's report on September 12, 2005, on the occasion that head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Hu Jintao is to attend the 2005 United Nations' World Summit at New York, San Francisco Falun Gong practitioners held a rally to urge Hu Jintao to immediately stop the persecution of Falun Gong and release all detained Falun Gong practitioners.
The rally was conducted at Union Square in downtown San Francisco. At the rally, Falun Gong practitioners re-enacted the torture methods used against their fellows in China. They also exhibited photos showing the persecution suffered by their fellow practitioners. San Francisco Falun Gong spokeswoman Sherry Zhang pointed out that since Hu Jintao took the post, the suppression against Falun Gong has never eased.
Sherry said, "In recent months, I know that a great number of Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested. He issued many secret orders to severely attack Falun Gong. Even more so, I read some reports which stated, 'Officials said that we need to have a war against Falun Gong without any gunsmoke.'"
Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Biao Xuzhuang a former government official in China's Ministry of Coal Industry fled China with his wife two years ago because he could not endure the persecution. He obtained U.N. refugee status.
Mr. Bian said, "Although this persecution against Falun Gong was single-handedly initiated by Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao has taken the post for more than two years and the persecution is still going on and has been escalating. One cannot say that Hu is not responsible for that. During Hu Jintao's visit to the U.S. and Canada, Falun Gong practitioners sincerely appeal: Immediately stop all persecution!"
At the side of the photo exhibit at the re-enactment of the torture methods, an older lady was locked in an iron cage. This was to simulate the torture experienced by Falun Gong practitioners in China. The lady told this reporter, "I'm thinking of fellow practitioners in China right now at this point. They live in jail or prisons every day. They've been suffering this every day. We, practitioners in the U.S., enjoy the freedom to practice Falun Gong here. Unfortunately, practitioners over there have no such freedom. They will be arrested if they do and they will suffer this kind of inhuman torture."
According to what Falun Gong practitioners exposed at the rally, at present, more than 2800 Falun Gong practitioners whose names have been verified have died from the persecution. More than 6000 practitioners were sentenced to prisons. At least 100,000 practitioners have been sent to forced labor camps. Thousands of practitioners are locked in psychiatric hospitals. Countless practitioners' families have been torn apart.
Compiled from transcript of RFA interview.