ATLANTA — On Friday, March 3, in front of the State Capitol of Georgia, Epoch Times Executive Li Yuan said, "I call on your help in the free world to protect those of us who work for freedom of information for China." Last Tuesdays' attack on the Hong Kong office motivated local Epoch Times staff to call for protection. Hong Kong Epoch Times had found local printers reluctant to accept their business, so they invested in their own print production machine. Last week, hammer-wielding thugs broke into their office to smash the machine. As with the February 8 attack on Li Yuan, the vandals appeared to know what they were looking for and did not steal money or valuables.
Dr. Li said the motive of the attacks was fear. Since the paper published the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party in November 2004, 8.5 million people have resigned from the party. It is collapsing, yet trying desperately to hang on to power. The Nine Commentaries reveal the history that no one in the mainland has been allowed to know: what really happened on Tiananmen Square, how many died in the Great Leap Forward, and other topics we in the west take for granted, were hidden from people in the Chinese mainland.
On a blustery, sunny afternoon, Marketing Vice President Kirk Wang spoke passionately about freedom of the press. "We serve as a bridge between the Chinese community and the mainstream society," he said, adding "Many big things happen and they keep it all silent…Epoch Times is the exception. The Chinese regime knows it can't control the Epoch Times, so they use overseas agents to intimidate staff, to spread rumors, threaten our families, threaten our advertisers…" He added that they had tried to suppress news of SARS, and that few here know that Chinese language media had encouraged readers to celebrate the 9/11 attacks, and to regard America with hatred.
Mr. Wang, Dr. Li and others founded the paper in order to counter both the silence and the anti-American, fierce nationalism of other Chinese language media. They want the U. S. government to speak up for them and with them.
"Here we appeal to the American government to condemn the recent attacks on Epoch Times staff. It takes all of us to stop the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). To support Epoch Times is to support our own freedom" said Mr. Wang.
The press conference ended with a letter from a reader of the English website, which said in part "Your site has also given me great hope for the future of China. Had I to rely upon other sources, I would assume that China is evolving into a super-producing nation without a soul. Instead I read of so many Chinese who are attempting to form a cultural context of fairness and decency. In these people I see future friends.
If China was simply a growing powerhouse with no love for liberty, I would have no respect for the citizens, and take a defensive mode against them. But if China harbors so many who fight valiantly for the same basic rights I cherish, I wish them and their nation all the success in the world. That is what I am praying for. If these good people in China triumph they will create the best friend and neighbor anyone could ask for."
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