Posted on 05/21/2009 2:24:58 AM PDT by Cindy
Note: Photo included.
Note: The following text is a quote:
Monday, May 18, 2009
Video Launched to Expose Torture of Christian Attorney Gao Zhisheng
US Senators Call on Chinese President to Release Gao from Prison
By Michael Ireland Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service BEIJING, CHINA / WASHINGTON, DC (ANS) -- It has been more than 100 days since Christian human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng has been seen in public.
Gao Zhisheng
Now two Christian groups, who work for the rights of believers in countries where they face persecution or discrimination, are working together for his release. And a group of US Senators is calling on the Chinese President to have Gao released.
ChinaAid (www.chinaaid.org ) and Voice of the martyrs (VOM) -- www.persecution.com -- have released a video exposing the torture Gao suffered in 2007.
Reports from inside China indicate he is now likely experiencing the same treatment -- or worse. Go to www.freegao.com to view the video now.
According to VOM, this video, an account of 58 days of torture in Gao's own words, is an indictment of the true nature of Communist Party leaders, who commit these atrocities with their left hands, while their right hands are extended to the free world in a show of friendship and economic partnership.
VOM says in a media release that on September 12, 2007, Christian human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng wrote an open letter to the U.S. Congress exposing the brutality of the Communist Party, including the persecution of house church Christians.
Soon after, says VOM, Gao was kidnapped by Chinese government authorities and tortured for 58 days.
"Officials threatened to kill him if he ever exposed the details of his torture. Gao Zhisheng refused to be intimidated into silence -- he continued to speak out about human rights abuses by China's ruling Party. Determined to silence him, government officials kidnapped him again on February 4, 2009," VOM says in the news release.
Gao Zhisheng has now been missing for more than 100 days. He was last seen being hauled away by Chinese officials, VOM states.
"Gao Zhisheng risked everything to challenge the dark system of communism -- he dared to speak the truth. Now, his very life threatens to unmask the distorted inner reality of the Chinese government to the world," said VOM.
VOM explains that Gao said to his wife that if he should be persecuted for speaking the truth, he believed that people of justice throughout the world would stand with him.
The group is asking believers across America to please forward this e-mail to family and friends, asking them to view the video, sign the petition and send e-mails to government officials at www.FreeGao.com.
Meanwhile, according to ChinaAid, on May 14, the 99th day since Chinese Christian human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng's kidnapping by government officials, four U.S. Senators issued a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao calling for the Chinese government to release Gao.
The four signatories are: Senators Bryon Dorgan (D-ND and Chairman of the Congressional - Executive Commission on China), Russ Feingold (D-WI), Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Sam Brownback (R-KS).
The following is the full text of the Senators' letter to President Hu Jintao:
"Dear President Hu:
"We are writing to express our deep concern over the disappearance of prominent lawyer and human rights advocate, Gao Zhisheng. Tomorrow will mark the 100th day in which Mr. Gao has not been seen or heard from. We fear that Mr. Gao's life may be in grave danger, given Mr. Gao's past treatment at the hands of public security officers (and others working under their direction).
"Mr. Gao, voted 'one of China's top ten lawyers' in 2001 by a Chinese Ministry of Justice publication, has represented numerous civil society figures, religious leaders and writers.
"In September 2007, Mr. Gao sent an open letter to the U.S. Congress alleging widespread human rights abuses in China. Afterwards, public security officers abducted him and held him for over 50 days, during which time he was repeatedly tortured. He was told that he would be killed if he told anyone about what happened. Mr. Gao was last seen on February 4, 2009 at a relative's home, where more than 10 public security officers and others forcibly removed him from bed, and whisked him away to an unknown location. Mr. Gao's whereabouts are still unknown.
"Mr. Gao's disappearance appears to be a violation of both Chinese and international law. We urge your government to inform the concerned public of his whereabouts, to guarantee Mr. Gao's right to be free from arbitrary detention, and to secure his release."
Both ChinaAid and VOM invite you to visit www.FreeGao.com to advocate for Gao Zhisheng's release: sign the petition; view the video; send e-mails to Chinese officials and find out more information about Gao Zhisheng.
For more details from ChinaAid, please contact: Katherine@ChinaAid.org with questions or requests for further information.
For more information from VOM, click here: www.persecution.com/contact
why are there no organized boycotts of Chinese products specifically with regards to how they treat Christians?
That’s a good question, Chuck the TV out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.