July 8th, 2009

On July 1st of 2009, Mr. Wu, a Falun Gong practitioner who had been stranded in South Korea, was suddenly deported back to mainland China. Furthermore, 34 Falun Gong practitioners stranded in South Korea are facing the similar urgent situation.  Four of the practitioners who have been detained in the Foreigner Protection Center have received warnings that they will soon be deported back to mainland China.

On this emergency matter,

1.In the verdict that the Seoul High Court, Supreme Court of South Korea dismissed Falun Gong refugees’ appeals, it acknowledged the existence of persecution of Falun Gong, that Falun Gong has been persecuted by Chinese Communist Party and that each of the applicant practiced Falun Gong and that they are participating in anti-persecution activities overseas. But out of certain untold reason, they were refused at the pretext that they were not key persons (implying that only key Falun Gong persons would be persecuted.)

2.On December 17, 2008, the groups’ refugee appeal was submitted to South Korea’s Supreme Court, and on February 26th of 2009, a verdict was handed down. From the time the appeal was submitted to the time that verdict was reached, it only took two months. Judge Shen in charge of this case went through over the massive eight thousand pages of the appeal and made the verdict during the 8 working days in office. It was a rare refugee case and should have been given more careful consideration.

Now sixty plus Falun Gong practitioners appealing or preparing to appeal for refugee status are now expected to face the same emergency situation. We urgently submit this letter to further stating the case.

1. About the deportee is not the person in charge

Everyone cherishes his life. Falun Gong is a cultivation practice through the principles of “ truthfulness, compassion, forbearance” and five sets of relaxing exercises to achieve mind and body health. Currently, Falun Gong has spread to over 110 countries around the world attracting people of different races, different walks of life, different age groups, which alone is enough evidence that Falun Gong is a superb cultivation method with high moral standard. Government should treat with kindness and respect people’s choice. During the ten years’ persecution of Falun Gong by Chinese Communist Party in mainland China, even under such severe persecution, the number of people practicing Falun Gong is on the rise, still reaching into many different walks of life.  The statement about the person in charge, is not a statement used by Falun Gong practitioners’ communities as there is no hierarchy in Falun Gong practice , rather it is a lie made by Chinese Communist Party. Falun Gong has no political agenda, even housewives who practicing Falun Gong are abducted by Chinese Communist Party from their homes, retirees in their seventies are sent to “re-education through labor camp “. Every Chinese practicing Falun Gong has put their life at risk of being persecuted. Therefore, whether the person in charge would be persecuted and implying that “regular” practitioners would not face persecution is totally wrong assumption.  Ten of thousands of persecution cases gathered by international communities can attest to this case.  Falun Gong practitioners have steadfast to their faith and conscience and have won support from various countries. Their fight for freedom of belief should be respected and protected.

It is the Chinese Communist Party that are enemies of the people, deceiving various countries, using money and power to buy shut-up silence from various countries and shut-up silence from the mainstream media of various countries on the matter of persecution of Falun Gong. What is CCP’s purpose? Is it for compassion or for protection of justice? It is never, never this case. For Chinese people who still have conscience and justice, the existence of CCP is a painful wound for the Chinese nation; CCP’s existence prevents hundreds of thousands of overseas Chinese (including pro-democracy movement activists, 6.4 activists, Falun Gong practitioners, civil rights activists) from reunion with their families in China; CCP has made the world greedy, made people indifferent towards crimes against humanity, made money more powerful than the dignity of laws and order, why should we have any reason to hope that the evil (CCP) might change for the good?
2: What is the motive of deportation?

When there is a tiger in the mountains, we must proceed to that mountains (Chinese proverb, taking a big risk) What a dangerous situation has South Korean official’s intentional or unintentional deporting put the deported Falun Gong practitioner into? Ancient Chinese believed that a man should not be the slave of money or interests. South Korea and China in the ancient Tang Dynasty shared quite frequent cultural exchange. Today, China under CCP’s control has lost the beautiful traditional Chinese culture. Not so long ago, the negative interference that Divine Performing Arts during its scheduled shows in South Korea has clearly demonstrated CCP’s fear of the restoration of traditional Chinese culture and its attempt of exporting CCP’s ideology overseas and maintaining its control overseas. One cannot rob a man’s will, let alone robbing the will of a nation like South Korea? ! Choosing to be allies of the justice forces is the expectation for South Korea from kind hearted people around the world. Ancient Chinese believed in the unity of heaven and man. Why is there economic recession in South Korea? As a matter of fact, South Korea doesn’t need the financial tonic from the evil CCP who obtained such money via exploitation of the Chinese people, as it will cause South Korea to go down the hill; the Chinese word representing a person is very simple, just one stroke from top to the left and one stroke from top to the right, but it has a very deep cultural significance to us Chinese, which means that a person stands against the blue sky, with both feet standing straight on the ground, that being a human means a man standing up straight. Korean nation should have a spirit of forbearance and must not give up the long term benefit for the present interest. Be a true Korean nation that shall not let down the expectation of the heaven. Furthermore, all consequences are results from processes. People have to be responsible for what they have done.

This is our heartfelt wishes for the Korean nation.

Attachment:
1.“GMR”: Announcement on Forceful Deportation of Falun Gong Practitioner by South Korean Ministry of Justice
http://globalrescue.net/en/2009/07/567

2. Open Letter to Consul General Kim Kyung-keun, Korea
http://globalrescue.net/en/2009/07/528

Backgroud information:
South Korea signed UN Refugees Convention in December 1992 ( (Convention relating to the Status of Refugees,1951, and Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, 1967)， as well as Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment). South Korea rectified the conventions on Feb. 8, 1995. The convention clearly stated in Article 3 item 1, “any member countries should not repatriate/deport anyone who may face torture.”

On December 12, 2008, South Korea modified its immigration law and added that those asylum seeker who had failed to be granted asylum protection, should be granted stay on the ground of humanity, they can seek job (Immigration law Article 76 item 8. The law took effect 10 days before the Mr. Wu was repatriated back to China. That is to say, the forced deportation of Mr. Wu not only violated the international law, but also the newly established law.

The full text of Article 76 item 8 reads,” For those who failed to obtain asylum protection, the official of Ministry of Justice can grant the stay according to the President’s decree.”

Mr. Wu was detained in March, 2007, he was deprived of all the freedom. After 2 years and 4 months, he was still deported. On that day another Falun Gong practitioners detained in the same detention center was not allowed to contact outside and be informed of the news.