Falun Gong Practitioners Ask U.S. to Deny Chinese Official Entry Because of Religious Freedom Violations

September 27, 2005

Source: U.S. Newswire

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=54079

On September 27, 2005 U.S. Newswire issued a press release from Falun Gong practitioners in the U.S. that stated, "Sun Jiazheng, China's Minister of Culture, intends to attend the Festival of China at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in the United States in October 2005. We [Falun Gong practitioners] request the State Department to deny Chinese government official Sun Jiazheng an entry visa into the United States pursuant to INA 212(a)(2)(G), 8 U.S.C.A. Section 1182(a)(2)(G) -- 'Foreign government officials who have engaged in particularly severe violations of religious freedom.' Sun Jiazheng has played a major role in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China." The release goes on to detail the Falun Gong practitioners' criticisms of Sun Jiazheng's treatment of memebrs of their sect in China.