(http://youtu.be/zZB7UDT0UzM)
Falun Gong practitioners gathered outside the South Korean Embassy last week in Stockholm, Sweden. They appealed to the government not to deport Mr. Jin Jingze back to China.
Jin is a Falun Gong practitioner who’s been detained since September 5th. He’s one of many Falun Gong practitioners who are still waiting to be given refugee status in South Korea.
Malin Nordstrand from the Swedish Falun Dafa Association contacted the South Korean Ambassador for a meeting but was turned down.
[Malin Nordstrand, Swedish Falun Dafa Association]:
”The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China by the Communist Party is extremely severe. If they get sent back to China they will most definitely be subjected to torture, imprisonment and it might even lead to death.”
Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese meditation practice based on the principles of truth, compassion and forbearance. The Chinese Communist Party has been persecuting the group since 1999.
Since 2009 South Korea has already deported ten Falun Gong practitioners back to China, and has denied asylum to about 40 more. About 100 Falun Gong practitioners are residing in South Korea without legal refugee status, and they might be next in line to meet the same fate as Mr. Jin.
In these cases, the South Korean government is neglecting two United Nations Conventions that it has ratified - the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman Treatment.
Legal advisor for Amnesty International in Sweden, Madelaine Seidlitz points out how Chinese Falun Gong practitioners are qualified for refugee status.
[Madelaine Seidlitz, Legal adviser, Amnesty International, Sweden]:
“We are aware about the risks for the Falun Gong practitioners to be persecuted in China - that is a fact, unfortunately. We don’t know what we can do so far and Amnesty International organization are looking in to these cases.”
Xiu Lan was imprisoned twice and tortured in a Chinese prison for practicing Falun Gong. She was lucky and received UN refugee status and asylum in Sweden. She says sending Falun Gong practitioners back to China is like sending them directly to hell.
[Xiu Lan He, Refugee]:
“I can not go back, since my family had tried to find some friends who knew someone from the secret police (610 bureau) the police told them that as soon as I land in China, I will be sent to prison directly.”
The future for Mr. Jin Jingze and the hundred other Falun Gong practitioners in South Korea is still uncertain.
NTD News, Stockholm, Sweden
From - http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/news_europe/2011-10-05/swedes-protest-against-deportation-of-falun-gong-adherent-in-south-korea.html
Falun Dafa is Good!
