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Taiwanese Human Rights Groups Strive to Rescue Abducted Businessman
Chung Ai, the daughter of the Taiwanese man Chung Ting-pang arrested in China in June, arrives as hundreds of practitioners of Falun Gong hold a sit-in protest, in downtown Taipei on July 23, 2012, as part of their effort to rescue Chung Ting-pang. (Mandy Cheng/AFP/Getty Images)
TAIPEI, Taiwan—Human rights organizations gathered outside Taiwan’s legislative building on July 31, calling on president Ma Ying-jeou to pressure Chinese communist authorities into releasing Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioner Chung Ting-pang during the upcoming annual meeting between Taiwan and mainland China.
Chung, a Taiwanese citizen, was abducted in China while visiting relatives in June. He is being detained at Gangzhou National Security Bureau in Guangdong province.
More than 30 organizations attended the protest, including Amnesty International, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, the Judicial Reform Foundation, and Citizen Congress Watch.
Executive director of Humanistic Education Foundation Joanna Feng urged Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao to listen and to release Chung as soon as possible.
Chung’s family was also present. His daughter Chung Ai spoke at the press conference: “I’m so sad, but I’m telling you that I’ll never give up. No matter what, I’ll take it to the end. So I’d very much need the help from every one of you.”
Chung Ting-pang is a practitioner of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice that has flourished in Taiwan and other countries, but was banned in mainland China by the Chinese Communist Party 13 years ago.
Executive director of Humanistic Education Foundation Joanna Feng urged Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao to listen and to release Chung as soon as possible.
“People have the freedom to practice Falun Gong. We cannot let a totalitarian regime and its system restrict Taiwanese citizens’ freedom. We definitely recognize the accusation of ‘endangering national security [by the communist regime].’ It is unrighteous and illegal to jeopardize the safety of Taiwanese citizens,” she said.
Executive Director of Taiwan Association for Human Rights Lai Chung-chiang said that Chung’s arrest was part of China’s national persecution against Falun Gong. “We request the state release him unconditionally right now. If Mr. Chung is not freed immediately, what’s the point of China and Taiwan discussing the protection of personal freedom? Nobody would believe a word of it,” commented Lai.
Many scholars gave their support, as did consultants at the Office of the President, Taiwan’s Congress, and the Executive Yuan (Cabinet).
“This call is for the protection of citizens of the Republic of China, of Taiwanese businessmen in mainland China, and of the freedom of religion, as well as for the establishment of rule of law in China,” said Professor Mab Huan, who is a Human rights consultant from the Office of the President of Taiwan.
Su Yiu-chen, a lawyer and president of Chinese Association for Human Rights, told the Sound of Hope Radio Network that the Chung’s abduction was a threat the safety of all Taiwanese. “This is in fact an appeal from all the people living in Taiwan, and we hope the Chinese regime will realize the emotional damage caused to the Taiwanese people. We are making a strong appeal that Daddy Chung be released unconditionally at the earliest possibility, and we will do our best to make this happen.”
In a short report on its mouthpiece Xinhua, the Chinese communist regime has accused Chung of sending equipment into China used for interrupting satellite TV signals to broadcast materials about the truth of Falun Gong.
On Aug. 9, a meeting will be take place in Taipei between Chiang Pin-kung, chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation from Taiwan, and Chen Yunlin, president of the Chinese regime’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits. The annual meeting is dubbed “the Chiang-Chen Meeting.”
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2012-08-02 21:46:49
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