The Singapore court's unfair verdict against two Falun Gong practitioners has drawn great attention from the Falun Gong practitioners around the world. At the same time, Singapore practitioners have also been trying hard to appeal for the two fellow practitioners who have been on a hunger strike for several days.
On May 2, 2005, Monday, is a public holiday in Singapore, and also an open day for the Singapore President's official residence, Istana. Singapore Falun Gong practitioners delivered an appeal letter to a representative of President Nathan, requesting the government to release the two Falun Gong practitioners who are on a hunger strike in prison because they felt the verdict to be unfair to them.
The two Falun Gong practitioners were charged with "Assembly without a Permit" and "Possession and Distribution of VCDs without a Certificate," because they clarified the facts about the persecution of fellow practitioners in China to tourists at the Esplanade Park. We have learned that the prosecutor could not provide evidence to support the charges, so the two practitioners felt the Judge's verdict was unfair to them, and decided to appeal. One of the practitioners, Ms. Cheng Lujin, requested that she be allowed to take her six-month-old baby with her but was rejected; therefore, she began a hunger strike as soon as she entered the prison. Ms. Ng Chye Huay also decided to start a hunger strike to protest the mistreatment.
Today marks the fifth day of their hunger strike. Singapore Falun Gong practitioners are very worried about their safety, so they decided to take advantage of the President's residence being open to the public by appealing to the president to rescue the imprisoned practitioners. The practitioners originally asked the guards at the gate to deliver the letter. As the security of the president's official residence was very tight, a representative of the guards came out to meet the practitioners and agreed to hand-deliver the letter to the president.
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