Local Hunger Strike Protests Terror Tactics

NEW YORK—Brutally cold wind from the Hudson River couldn't deter four hunger strikers in front of the Chinese Consulate on Saturday. The consulate, located at 42nd Street and 12th Avenue, has become a regular spot for protesters, who condemn the Chinese communist regime's suppression and persecution of its own people in China. On Jan. 18, however, protesters' chief concern was what is happening right here in the United States.

"I just feel I have to do something," said Ms. Rong Yi, a local coordinator for Falun Gong activities, who was one of the four on hunger strike.

A string of hunger strikes was sparked when Mr. Yuan Li, an American citizen and Epoch Times Chief Technical Officer, was beaten and robbed in his Atlanta home on Feb. 8 by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agents.

Li's technical expertise has been instrumental in helping break through the CCP's firewall, which for the most part keeps Chinese citizens from accessing information the CCP deems sensitive—topics like democracy in China, the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the persecution of Falun Gong and Tibetan Buddhists, and anything too critical of the government.

"This is not the first time something like this happened outside China, but it is the worst," said Ms. Yi. "It's very bad that they are persecuting people even in the U.S."

Ms. Yi listed of terror tactics used in the New York area against practitioners of Falun Gong, including break-ins, thefts, and threatening phone calls. In 1999, shortly after the persecution of Falun Gong began, the window on Ms. Yi's car was smashed. Her computer has also been attacked by viruses traced back to Beijing.

Ms. Nadia Ghattas, a staff member of the Epoch Times and one of the four, said, "It's not just Chinese, this issue affects everyone… Everyone is entitled to human rights and freedom of press—these are the basics of humanity."

The hunger strike is also part of the relay hunger strike being organized by human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng across China. Mr. Gao is basically calling on the CCP to give up its repressive control of China.

"People can't just look to China for economic benefits, and not pay attention to human rights," said Ms. Yi.

Ms. Yi is a former Chinese diplomat who moved to the United States in 1995 to study at the Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University. She now works at a New York non-profit organization.