PRESS RELEASE                         contact Bob Fu, Executive Director

                                                                        Committee for Investigation on Persecution of Religion in China,

                                                                         215-886-5210(TEL) 215-8861668(FAX) E-mail: FXQ02@yahoo.com

                                                                          Web:  www.ReligiousFreedomForChina.org

    CIPRC TO ASK PRESIDENT BUSH TO URGE CHINA TO RELEASE 123 RELIGIOUS PRISONERS

New York, February 15 – On Friday, February 15, Mr. Shixiong Li and Bob Fu, President and Executive Director of the Committee for the Investigation on Persecution of Religion in China send a letter to US President George W. Bush asking him to urge Chinese government to release these 123 innocent religious believers. The list of 123 religious prisoners was compiled by the Committee with their names, gender, age, arrest time, prison location and accusations as well as prison terms.

 On Monday CIPRC along with other four Christian groups(www.ReligiousFreedomForChina.org) released its publication Religion and National Security in China, revealing previously unseen top-secret documents procured from within China’s Government, with chilling evidence of secret orders to persecute a wide range of religious groups throughout China. According to Mr. Li, "It is our great hope that President Bush will utilize his trip to China this month to be strong voice for the millions of voiceless Chinese Christians and other religious groups who are oppressed by the PRC’s government."

60 of the 123 names sent to the President are made to public for the first time with the consent from the victims or their family members. “We choose these names out of several thousand ones we have obtained through our investigation in the past two years. They are regarded either the harshest or the latest sentences since 1983,” said Mr. Bob Fu, who is also the English spokesman for CIPRC. “ The other 63 including five death-sentenced are the names of prisoners from South China Church which had been severely persecuted by the Chinese government since last May,” Mr. Fu continued. “In one of seven released documents issued by the Beijing Public Security Bureau last August, the evangelical South China Church was regarded as an ‘evil cult’ and her leaders were subject to arrest immediately by any PSB”, Mr. Fu pointed out specifically.

 The age of 60 newly released religious prisoners are from 21 to 70, the prison terms, from 1 year to life sentence; their prison locations, 12 provinces; and covers over 10 different groups.

 “We sincerely ask the President with the same spirit of compassion to that Bible smuggler of Hong Kong businessman to pass this list to the Chinese President and urge for their release,” said Mr. Fu.

CIPRC also call American public to call, write, email to the White House and their representatives in Congress as well as to Chinese Embassy:

Address: Honorable President George W. Bush, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20500

Tel: +1-202-456-1414

E-mail: President@whitehouse.gov

Honorable Ambassador Yang Jiechi and Counselor of Political Affairs Office Yue Xiaoyong

Tel: (202) 745-7457  (202) 3282520 FAX: (202) 745-7473

Email: chinaembassy_us@fmprc.gov.cnCommittee for Investigation on Persecution of Religion in China 

215-886-5210(TEL) 215-8861668(FAX) E-mail: FXQ02@yahoo.com  www.ReligiousFreedomForChina.org  
Bob Fu, Executive Director
Committee for Investigation on Persecution of Religion in China
P.O. Box 610284, Bayside NY 11361-0284, USA
215-886-5210(TEL) 215-8861668(FAX)
http://ReligiousFreedomforChina.org/English