UK Member of Parliament Marris Writes to Wen Jiabao Urging Chinese Government to Release Falun Gong Practitioners

On November 13 2003, UK Member of Parliament Marris wrote to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, urging the Chinese government to release Falun Gong practitioners unconditionally. Marris said in his letter, they are incarcerated solely because of their expression of their peacefully held belief. "I strongly urge the Chinese government to ensure that independent investigation is carried out into the allegations and released them unconditionally if the allegations are upheld."

Premier Wen Jiabao
Zhong Nan Hai
Beijing
People's Republic of China

Dear Premier Wen,

A matter of very serious concern has come to my attention and this is why I write to you now.

I have been told that

1. Ms. Baolian Zhu, 37, was detained for 8 months without trial for distributing Falun Gong leaflets, and in August 2001 sentenced to 4 years in Beijing Women's Prison;
2. Ms. Yongjie Zhu, 29, was arrest on 4th November 2002 and has been held in Daxing Women's Labour Camp in Beijing without trial, for practicing and supporting Falun Gong;
3. Mr. Xujun Zheng, 35, was sentenced to 2 years in Tuanhe Labour Camp in Beijing in March 2002 for distributing and displaying materials against the suppression of Falun Gong.
4. Mr. He Jian, 27, was incarcerated in a labour camp in Wuhan, China, for one and a half years without trial and tortured many times for practicing Falun Gong. Arrested again on 23 June 2003 and later reported to be struggling for his life in a hospital guarded by police.

I heard that Baolian, Yongjie, Jian and Xujun are family members or close personal friends of UK residents and citizens. These cases are apparently appalling examples of using outrageous punishment on completely peaceful people exercising their most fundamental human rights of freedom of speech, conscience and belief. China signed up to the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and should investigate all allegations of abuses of fundamental human rights and bring those responsible to justice.

I am told that they are incarcerated solely because of their expression of their peacefully held belief. I strongly urge the Chinese government to ensure that independent investigation is carried out into the allegations and released them unconditionally if the allegations are upheld.

I also urge the Chinese government to allow their relatives and friends in the UK to visit them in China as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely,

Signature:

Name: Marris
Position: M.P.
City: House of Commons, London, UK