The decision was an encouraging step toward ensuring cultural freedom and curbing the power of the Immigration Department, said Chairperson of Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor Chong Yiu Kwong.

“I’m happy about the court’s decision. … I feel that the court’s verdict is quite fair. It puts a limit on the discretionary power of the Immigration Department,” said Chong. “After the court’s verdict, Immigration can no longer be so reckless and unreasonably refuse others to enter Hong Kong.”

The legal case was filed by the Epoch Group—the local presenter of Shen Yun—against the director of Immigration, after he refused six members of the company entry to Hong Kong just seven days before the shows were due to commence in January 2010. The Epoch Group also publishes the Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times.

The New York-based Shen Yun, referred to as the world’s premier classical Chinese dance company, was invited by the Epoch Group to perform seven shows at the Lyric Theatre Jan. 27–31, 2010.

Shen Yun believes the visa denial in Hong Kong was due to interference by the Chinese regime. In a Jan. 24, 2010, press release Shen Yun stated: “The Chinese communist regime has been seeking to interfere with our performances for years by trying to pressure officials and theaters to cancel our shows. We regret that the Hong Kong people are denied their right to see Shen Yun Performing Arts and understand that this incident constitutes a violation of Hong Kong people’s freedom. We hope the people of Hong Kong who treasure their freedom will urge the Hong Kong government to undo this mistake.”

Shen Yun master of ceremonies Leeshai Lemish also said that upon the cancellation of the show audience members who planned to travel to Hong Kong from mainland China had their tickets confiscated by authorities and some were even arrested.

The Hong Kong ruling, issued by Judge Andrew Cheung in the High Court of the Special Administrative Region, ordered that the director of Immigration’s decision be “quashed” on the grounds that he “failed to take into account relevant considerations.”

According to its website, Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture. It has been invited to perform at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, such as the Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Palais des Congrès in Paris.

The organizers said that the performances were completely sold out within days of the public ticket release.

The sudden visa cancellation forced the organizers to refund over HK$5 million (US$642,000) to the public in lost ticket sales, said Mr. Kan.

“We were shocked by the director’s decision. The refusal to allow key production staff into Hong Kong just days before the shows was clearly a premeditated action to sabotage the show,” he said.

“We welcome the court’s decision, and we thank all the righteous support from Hong Kong and overseas, and praise the court for being able to clear the obstacles,” said Mr. Kan.

In Hong Kong there are no specific visa schedules for visiting artists or sports teams. Such groups have to apply under the so-called GEP schedule, known as General Employment Policy. The provision essentially requires the applicants to prove the necessity for “employment” and that their work cannot be performed by local experts.

While in most cases such proof is not enforced, the final decision has been left to the director of Immigration, whose powers remained largely unchallenged.

This latest court decision by Judge Andrew Cheung has created an opening for greater discretion, says To Yiu Ming, assistant professor, Department of Journalism, Hong Kong Baptist University.

“I feel that the court’s decision respected art exchanges [and] has a positive effect on cultural exchange in future,” said Mr. Ming.

“This is a testing case to see if the court is really independent,” he added.

One unique feature of the Shen Yun performances is the use of state-of-the-art technology to project digital backdrops, often synchronized with the dance performers.

The court documents from Judge Andrew Cheung cite evidence the six visa applications were denied to the staff that was specifically responsible for technical support and back stage assistance, in particular lighting, sound, and projector operations.

According to the summary of the minutes from the Immigration Department meeting provided as evidence, the director asserted, “The duties of applicant as audio engineer are of [a] general nature and the knowledge, experience, and skills required do not meet the requirement that they are not readily available in Hong Kong.”

In other words, the visa applications were refused on the grounds that the staff can be replaced by local engineers.

The reasons were refuted by the applicant’s lawyer, Mr. Paul Harris.

“The decision to refuse all production staff … ignores the simple fact that being able to operate the lighting [and] sound effects of backdrop for a stage event is not a matter of knowing how to operate them, but a matter of when to operate them,” argued Mr. Harris.

The Epoch Group plans to reinvite Shen Yun to Hong Kong as soon as possible, says Mr. Kan.

The government can appeal the court’s decision within four weeks, but some feel that will be unlikely.

“I can tell you, he may not dare to appeal after going through the verdict,” said Albert Ho, leader of the Democratic Party.

Mr. Ho believes the verdict re-established Hong Kong’s values.

“There is a bottom line, Hong Kong is still a place where rule of law is a deeply rooted tradition, that does not easily lose its function under political pressure,” he said. “This is also what’s valuable in Hong Kong.”

于2月3-5日在奥克兰奥迪亚中心的ASB上演的神韵演出前期，首都的事议会成员收到了来自中 共领事馆信件。信件日期是2010年12月31日总领事 廖菊华签署。最后一句话写的： “请你们远离这件事，感谢阅读此信。”

至少有一位市议员认为这封信是个笑话，市议员Cathy Casey 毫不犹豫的把这封信的内容曝光。 她正式向奥克兰领事团团长提交了投诉，而且还把这封信粘贴在她的脸书上，以取得更多的嘲笑。

“没有一个土生土长的奥蒂亚人告诉我去或是不去。”Casey在新西兰3 News上说道。 “中国有 它自己的规律。我们是民主的，我们有言论自由，结社自由的权利。这可以打破一切束缚。”

据3 News 报道，所有20 个市议员都有收到总领事的信。Casey 希望他们能对此事有所道歉。 “这是议会之间的伙伴关系和外交队伍的行为，”她对大纪元说。

1月24，新西兰绿党国会议员基思洛克收到了一封不同的信。信的内容却是类似，但是信是被29个奥克兰的华人组织所签署，并要求他不要参加演出。在一份发布在绿党网站上的新闻稿,Locke说他很关心:“在奥克兰的一些华人社团联盟采取行动可能与奥克兰总领馆的事有关。”

新唐人电台采访时，国会议员Locke十分反对这种类型的外国压力。“这种审查机构也许在中国有，但是决不会在新西兰实行这种审查机构。”

作者含有中领馆的原件。如需看，请通过本网站与作者联系。

New Zealand Parliament Member Keith Locke and Auckland Council Member Cathy Casey are furious at Chinese letters they have received denigrating Shen Yun Performing Arts and warning them not to attend the company’s shows.

Ahead of Shen Yun’s February 3-5 performances in Auckland’s Aotea Center’s ASB Theatre, the capital’s City Council members received a letter from the consulate of the People’s Republic of China. The letter, dated December 31, 2010 and signed by Consular General Liao Juhua, concludes: “You are kindly requested to stay away from the event and thank you for reading this letter.”

While at least one City Councilor thought the letter was a joke, City Councilor Cathy Casey took exception to the letter and exposed it. She filed a formal complaint with the head of the consular corps in Auckland and also posted and subjected it to ridicule on her Facebook page.

“Nobody tells me to go or not go to a production at the Aotea Centre,” Casey said on New Zealand’s 3News. “China has its own rules. We are a democracy, we have freedom of speech, freedom of association. This breaks every rule.”

According to 3News, all 20 council members received the Consul General’s letter. Casey wants an apology. “This is breach of the partnership between council and the diplomatic corps,” she told The Epoch Times.

On January 24, Parliament Member Keith Locke of New Zealand’s Green Party received a different letter. The letter had a similar message, but was signed by 29-Auckland based Chinese organizations asking him not to attend the performance. In a press release posted on the Green Party website, Locke said he is “concerned that some Chinese organisations in Auckland may be acting in league with the Auckland consulate in this matter.”

In an interview with NTDTV, MP Locke objected to this type of foreign pressure. “It’s the sort of censorship that goes on in China, but it’s not the sort of censorship we should have here in New Zealand.”

The letter is on file and available upon request.

Note: On February 17, a “Spring Fantasy” gala, a performance supported by the Auckland Chinese consulate that also featured a speech by State Council Overseas Chinese Affairs Office Vice Director Xu Yousheng, was held at the same ASB Theatre.

(中文：新西兰官员的愤怒）

1月19日，神韵三个团之一的神韵国际艺术团，同时在全球巡演，原定于2011年在亚洲釜山市文化中心举行亮相。在前几年，演出是由韩国法轮大法佛学会主办。

佛学会在2010年11月12日与文化中心签署了有效的合法合同。但在12月12日，剧场给主办单位发出通知说演出被取消了，事实上这已经违反合约。双方之间的谈判陷入了停顿状态。之后，1月16日，离演出还有三天，主办单位举行了新闻发布会，不是在剧场前举行，而是在釜山中领馆前举行。

在新闻发布会上，法轮大法协会表示，中共驻釜山总领事关华兵，副总领事金燕光，以及汉城大使馆文化部职员王川，中共驻韩大使馆政务处的陈海，和其他领事代表曾威胁釜山市厅，釜山文化协会，认同神韵演出会损害韩国和中国的关系。主办单位说，领事馆还打电话给电视台，说他们的演出被取消，并告诉电台不要再播放神韵的广告。

领馆官员还联系了神韵的下一个 演出地韩国高阳市（Aram Nuri ）和大邱（Suseong Artpia）。领馆要求他们取消租凭合同，但这两个城市，当地官员十分唾弃中领馆的无理要求，并解释说，市政府无权废除私人合同。

这标志着自2007年以来，韩国中领馆外交官第五次干涉神韵演出。前两次提到，最后节目确实被取消（详情请见下文）。但是，恶剧不再重演。

2011年1月18日，主办单位向釜山地方法院的二级法院提交了申请书。第二天早上，当法院正在审查案件时，神韵演员和技术人员已经抵达了釜山的剧场并准备为晚上的演出装台。就像去年春天在摩尔多瓦发生的一样，演员们不准进入剧场并被迫在紧锁的大门外等待。在中午的时候，区域法院给剧院下达了命令，最后决定为，批准神韵在此上演。以平时一般时间的极快速度装完台，当晚演出爆满。

神韵在釜山的三场演出票全部售空，而且在韩国其他城市的门票也已全部售空。原本售票缓慢的局面，在中共企图告诉韩国民众该干什么、不该干什么后，全面扭转。此事件发生后，不仅导致了民愤，更使更多人关心神韵。最后竟演变成了中国官员给神韵提供了一个免费的大规模的推广。

在釜山演出的第二天，观众席里还包括了中国代表团来看演出。大纪元访问了一位先生，化名邹 ，他在这儿看了两场演出。他说他以前一直都是神韵男高音关贵敏先生的忠实粉丝。“我今天有幸有能听到关先生的歌声。实在是太美了。我以前在中国一直都听他的歌。我不敢相信这么多年后我还能听见他唱歌。我太幸运了！” 邹先生 离开剧场的时候手里捧了好几本神韵的节目册，他想带回去给他的家人和朋友们。

2009年2月：神韵在环球艺术中心演出。但中领馆施压于首尔剧场到，如果不取消演出，他们将不会发给前往中国做生意的韩国人签证。中领馆还恐吓到如果神韵如期上演那将会有上亿元的经济损失。剧场被迫取消演出，但将此事上告法庭。最后神韵还是如期上演。

2008年2月： 由韩国大纪元主办的在庆熙大学大和平宫上演的神韵演出被取消。理由是校方在此日期有别的活动安排。显而易见，这是来自中共的压力，主办方将此案上告法庭，并赢得诉讼，神韵如期上演。

2008年2月：

由于索纳塔策划演艺代理害怕与中国政府外交起摩擦，其主办的原定在釜山KBS电视台大厅（由国营企业KBS电视台说拥有）上演的神韵演出被迫取消。此事件被上告法庭，以得到合法性的取消演出认可。

2007年4月：

由新唐人电视台举办，原本预期在属于韩国政府的贸易中心Keox 大礼堂上演的神韵晚会，于3月16日通知演出被取消了。主办方上诉法庭，得知取消演出是因为中共施压。新唐人电视台赢得诉讼，但剧场拒绝开门让神韵演出，最后演出还是被迫取消。但是在离演出开场还有七小时，

As Shen Yun Performing Arts launched its 2011 tour of Asia, the company received advertising provided gratis by Chinese diplomats. First, the P.R.C mission to South Korea pressured a theater in Busan to cancel Shen Yun’s performances. Then, such a media frenzy ensued that hours after the District Court ruled that the show must go on, Shen Yun played to a sold-out house.

On January 19, Shen Yun’s International Company, one of three Shen Yun troupes simultaneously touring around the world, was scheduled to hold its 2011 Asia debut at the Busan City Cultural Center. As in previous years, the performance was to be hosted by the South Korean Falun Dafa Association.

The Association signed a valid rental contract with the Cultural Center on November 12, 2010. But on December 21, the theater sent the hosting organization a notice saying it was canceling the performance, in effect reneging on the contract. Negotiations between the two parties came to a standstill. Then, on January 16, three days before the performance, the hosting organization held a press conference, not in front of the theater, but in front of the Busan Chinese Consulate.

At the press event, the Falun Dafa Association of South Korea stated that Busan Consul General Hua Bing, Vice Consul General Jin Yanguang, as well as Seoul Embassy Cultural Affairs Officer Wang Chuan, Political Affairs Officer Chen Hai, and other consular representatives had threatened Busan City Hall and the Busan Cultural Association that allowing the Shen Yun performances would damage South Korea’s relationship with China. The Association said that the consulate had also phoned television stations and told them the performances were cancelled, instructing them to stop playing Shen Yun advertisements.

Consular officials had also contacted theaters and local government offices in Shen Yun’s next South Korean destination cities of Goyang (Aram Nuri theater) and Daegu (Suseong Artpia theater). Consular representatives asked them to cancel the rental contracts, but in both cities, the requests were spurned as local officials explained that the city has no right to annul a private contract.

This marked the fifth time since 2007 that P.R.C diplomats in Korea have sought to interfere with Shen Yun performances there. On two previous occasions, the shows indeed ended up being cancelled (see details below). But that was not to be the case this time.

On January 18, 2011, the hosting organization submitted a petition to the Busan District Court’s Second Administrative Department. The following morning, as the court was reviewing the case, Shen Yun’s artists and technical crew arrived at the Busan theater ready to set up that night’s performance. As happened in Moldova last spring, the crew was not allowed into the theater and was forced to wait outside locked doors. Around noon, the District Court’s ruling reached the theater, with the verdict that Shen Yun be allowed to perform. After a breakneck setup completed in less than half the usual time, Shen Yun performed to a full house.

Shen Yun’s three performances in Busan were sold out, and the rest of its performances in other Korean cities were full as well. Ticket sales, which were initially slow, were suddenly boosted by Korean press coverage of P.R.C diplomats trying to tell Koreans what they can and cannot watch. The fiasco led not only to outrage, but also curiosity about Shen Yun. It turns out that P.R.C officials provided Shen Yun with free, wide-scale promotion.

On the second day of performances in Busan, audience members included Chinese who made the special trip over to watch the show. One man interviewed by The Epoch Times, surname Zou, stayed to watch two performances. He said he had been a longtime fan of Shen Yun tenor Guan Guimin. “I got to hear Mr. Guan’s voice again. It was so beautiful. I used to listen to his songs when I was in China. I can’t believe that after so many years I get to hear him sing again. I’m so lucky!” Mr. Zou left the theater with multiple copies of the program to give to his family and friends back home.

********

Previous documented incidents in Korea:

February 2009: Shen Yun was scheduled to perform at Universal Art Center, which is run by a religious foundation. But the Chinese Embassy in Seoul threatened the theater that if the show is not canceled, they will not issue visas for members of the Korean foundation who conduct business in China. The embassy also threatened that the foundation will risk economic loss of hundreds of millions of dollars that they invested in China if they allow the Shen Yun’s show to take place. The show was canceled, but the case was brought to court, the cancellation was overturned and the show successfully performed.

February 2008: Shen Yun shows, hosted by the Korean Epoch Times, and scheduled to be performed at Kyung Hee University’s Grand Peace Palace, are canceled. The reason given was an overlapping schedule with other university activities. But pressure from the Chinese Embassy in Seoul was evident and the case was brought to court. The hosting organization won the case and the show was performed.

February 2008: Shen Yun shows scheduled at the KBS Busan Hall (owned by the state-run KBS TV) to be hosted by the Sonata Planning Agent for Performing Arts were cancelled due to fear of diplomatic frictions with the Chinese regime. The case was brought to court, with the decision upholding the legitimacy of the show’s cancellation.

April 2007: The Keox Auditorium Hall, which belongs to the Korean government organization Trade Center, was scheduled to hold Shen Yun’s show, hosted by New Tang Dynasty Television. On March 16, NTDTV was notified of the show’s cancellation. The case was brought to court under the allegation that the show was canceled due to Chinese embassy pressure. NTDTV won the case, but the theater refused to open the doors for the show, and it ended up being canceled.

(中文：中国驻韩国领事馆推广神韵)

The DOS report further detailed the cancellation of seven sold-out Shen Yun performances in Hong Kong, due to Hong Kong authorities refusal to grant visas to Shen Yun crew.

The report also cited the arrest of Jiang Feng, the husband of Shen Yun erhu virtuoso Mei Xuan.

Below are the relevant excerpts from the DOS report.

Moldova:

“The government cancelled two performances by Shen Yun Performing Arts, an organization that artistically presents Chinese culture through music and dance and speaks about the Chinese government’s mistreatment of Falun Gong. The Chinese government banned the Falun Gong in 1999 and has been reportedly pressuring governments in Europe, North America, and Asia to cancel Shen Yun performances. At a press conference held on May 27, 2010, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Andrei Popov voiced concern over the political nature of the show, and claimed that it might hurt diplomatic relations with China. The theater cancelled both scheduled performances on May 25 and 26, reportedly succumbing to pressure from the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, despite a contract signed with the Falun Dafa Association on January 20, 2010.”

Romania:

“In January 2010 government intervention prevented Shen Yun Performing Arts from performing at a theater in Bucharest. Shen Yun Performing Arts is an organization that artistically presented Chinese culture through music and dance and references the Chinese government’s mistreatment of Falun Gong. The Chinese government-banned Falun Gong in 1999 and has been reportedly pressuring governments in Europe, North America, and Asia to cancel Shen Yun performances. Several Romanian members of the European Parliament unsuccessfully tried to reverse the government’s decision. Falun Dafa Romania, which sponsored the shows, alleged that the Chinese Embassy pressured the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to forbid the performance. The MFA said the cancellation was due to a contract issue.”

Ukraine:

“The government cancelled a performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts, an organization that artistically presents Chinese culture through music and dance and speaks about the Chinese government’s mistreatment of Falun Gong. The Chinese government banned the Falun Gong in 1999 and has been reportedly pressuring governments in Europe, North America, and Asia to cancel Shen Yun performances. The show was scheduled to take place in Odesa on May 28, 2010, but was cancelled, allegedly following pressure from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Odesa’s local government.”

Hong Kong:

“The Epoch Group, a media organization with ties to Falun Gong, rented premises and sold out a several-day run of performances of the Shen Yun Performing Arts Show in January 2010. The show presents Chinese culture through music and dance and references the mainland government’s treatment of the Falun Gong. The HKSAR denied visas to six technicians of the Shen Yun troupe. The Immigration Department stated that the visas were refused in accordance with laws protecting the employment of local workers, and that the troupe could hire competent staff locally. Epoch Group contended that local staff could not replace the specialized expertise of its staff. The government sustained its refusals, and the Epoch Group cancelled the show. Epoch Group is seeking judicial review of the refusals.”

Mei Xuan:

“In February 2010 Jiang Feng, the husband of a musician in Shen Yun, a Falun Gong-related performing arts show, was reported missing in the country. His family members have received no information on any arrest, charges, or sentence.”

And in general, as part of a larger pattern:

“The Falun Gong also reported several incidents of the government’s interference with their activities abroad. According to NGO reports, the Shen Yun Performing Arts Company, and several media outlets, government officials pressured venues and governments in Asia and Europe to limit the broadcast time of Falun Gong-associated radio stations and cancel or otherwise delay Shen Yun performances. The performances artistically present Chinese culture through music and dance and reference the Government’s treatment of Falun Gong.”

美国国务院的报道还详细的报道了由于香港当局拒绝给神韵工作人员入境签证而被迫取消香港七场售票已空的演出。

该报道还报道了神韵二胡演奏家美旋的丈夫江峰被捕事件。

下面是美国国务院报道的有关摘录：

摩尔多瓦：

“政府取消了两场神韵演出，一个用歌舞晚会形式展现中国文化和中共当局欺压法轮功民众的团体。自1999年起，中国政府开始禁止法轮功，并对欧盟，北美，和亚洲多国政府施加压力，取消神韵演出。在2010年5月27日的新闻发布会上，欧盟外交部副部长安德烈波波夫对此政治性问题表示十分关注，并称此演出将会影响与中国的外交关系。剧场透露因收到来自文化部和外交部的压力，不得不取消原先和法轮大法协会在2010年1月20日签署的5月25，26两日的神韵演出。”

罗马尼亚：

“2010年一月政府出面干涉取消神韵在布加勒斯特剧场的演出。神韵艺术团是一个用歌舞晚会形式展现中国文化和中共当局欺压法轮功民众的团体。自1999年起，中国政府开始禁止法轮功，并对欧盟，北美，和亚洲多国政府施加压力，取消神韵演出。欧议会中多位罗马尼亚官员没能成功的阻止政府的决定。据主办方，罗马尼亚法轮大法协会称，外交部禁止神韵演出是因为收到了中共领馆的施压。外交部宣称取消演出的决定是出自合约问题。”

乌克兰：

“政府取消了神韵于乌克兰的演出，一个用歌舞晚会形式展现中国文化和中共当局欺压法轮功民众的团体。自1999年起，中国政府开始禁止法轮功，并对欧盟，北美，和亚洲多国政府施加压力，取消神韵演出。原本定在2010年5月28日在敖德萨的演出被取消，据称是敖德萨地方政府收到了来自外交部的压力。”

香港：

“大纪元时报——曾多次报道法轮功事件的媒体。主办并售空了几场在2010年1月上演的神韵艺术团的演出。神韵演出是一个用歌舞晚会形式展现中国文化和中共当局欺压法轮功民众的晚会。香港入境处拒签了神韵六位技术人员。入境处表示，拒签是为了保护香港的劳工法，按照香港劳工法神韵应在香港当地招聘技术人员。大纪元时报称，神韵的技术师是经过特殊训练的，是无法被当地的技术人员所取代的。但港府仍拒发签证，致使大纪元时报只好取消演出。大纪元时报同时正在提出法律诉讼。”

美旋：

“2010年2月，神韵二胡演奏家美旋的丈夫江峰在中国离奇失踪，他的家属并没有收到任何逮捕通知，或指控。”

而通常在更多的情况下：

“法轮功团体也揭露了政府一再干预他们在国外的一些活动。据非政府组织报道，神韵艺术团，多家媒体公司，和政府官员都曾受到不同层度的压力，亚洲和欧洲的政府或剧院也曾多次收到取消或推迟神韵演出的通知。神韵演出是一个用歌舞晚会形式展现中国文化和中共当局欺压法轮功民众的团体。”

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2010/

注：感谢李玮谞翻译这份表格

For a word.doc copy of this chart, please email a request via the contact form.

By Mei Xuan

Have you ever waited at an airport for a loved one you have not seen in a long time? Surely you remember the giddy expectation, scanning arriving passengers for that familiar face. But what if your loved one never arrived?

My husband never turned up. On Feb. 18, I waited for him at Newark International Airport with flowers. It had been over three years since I last saw him before fleeing China. Jiang Feng was to arrive on a Continental Airlines flight from Shanghai, but after the last passengers left he was still nowhere to be seen. My calls to China confirmed my greatest fears: He checked in, but never boarded the flight. Chinese secret police abducted him.

We married 12 years ago in Anhui province. I was a musician and he worked as a piano tuner. But before our first anniversary we were kidnapped from our workplaces and jailed. That was July 20, 1999, the first round of arrests of Falun Gong practitioners like us.

Our worlds collapsed as the campaign rolled in with a force equal to that of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution. Suddenly, we were enemies of the state, cut off from our family and friends. We were arrested for practicing meditation and following our discipline – principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. Falun Gong was becoming too popular for the Communist Party’s liking and our crime was having an independent belief system.

As I was a prominent musician, my director pulled strings to get me out, but my husband was jailed for three years. In 2002, literally days before his release, I was standing on a sidewalk when plainclothes police suddenly shoved me into a taxi and drove me to a detention center. They imprisoned me for four years. I was tied to a chair for 75 days without being allowed to sleep or use the restroom. My fingers and feet swelled three times their size. I was electrocuted, beaten and repeatedly knocked unconscious. I watched my friends, one after another, take their last breaths. Somehow, I survived and, after being released in 2006, fled to the United States.

My husband and I planned to reunite here. After I was generously granted political asylum, he also received the status of “derivative asylee,” obtained a U.S. visa, packed his bags and checked in at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport.

He would have been with me in Washington this week, as thousands of Falun Gong practitioners from around the world mark yet another anniversary of persecution in China. Instead, he is in an Anhui province labor camp in which prisoners toil in a coal mine. In addition to torture, my husband now faces the dangers of being trapped, suffocated or crushed underground in China’s most fatality-prone work.

Many people think the persecution of Falun Gong is mostly a thing of the past, a blotch on China’s slow but steady progress. Quite the contrary. In the months before the Olympics, over 8,000 practitioners were arrested, often from their homes for no apparent reason other than their faith. Many were sent to labor camps for periods far exceeding the length of the Olympic Games. Last year saw an upsurge in sham trials with hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners sentenced to prison for up to 18 years, often simply for downloading an article or distributing leaflets exposing persecution.

My husband and I were wed 12 years ago but, separated by persecution, we have shared married life for only a few months. I am extremely worried about his safety as I know what he faces every minute.

As you notice the Falun Gong activities this week, please remember that these victims of oppression are real people. They are our husbands and parents and children. They need your international voices of support. We have seen how, when the world looks away, we face the darkest pitilessness of the Chinese Communist Party. Your direct, public statements of support have a great restraining effect.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jul/21/an-empty-seat-a-broken-heart/