Extracts.
Former Falun Gong Follower Leads New Life. Thirty-five foreign nationals demonstrated carrying banners with the name of the notorious Falun Gong cult in the Tian'anmen Square area at about 2 pm Tuesday. Thirty-five foreign nationals demonstrated carrying banners with the name of the notorious Falun Gong cult in the Tian'anmen Square area at about 2 pm Tuesday. Local police removed them from the area as their behaviour violated Chinese laws governing parades, demonstrations and cults. They were ordered to leave China within a specified time. The incident is still under investigation, according to local police sources. New Life of a Former Follower Meanwhile, Teng Chunyan, Teng Chunyan, a Chinese citizen holding American permanent residence certificate and a former Falun Gong practitioner, recently talked to the media about her breaking away from the evil cult. "I hope my experience will help transform those obsessed Falun Gong followers," said Teng, surrounded by media at a Beijing-based re-education centre. With her short hair neatly combed and eyebrows noticeably trimmed, the confident 38-year-old woman looked younger than her real age. The beaming Teng, who has received formal training in Chinese herbal medicine, is far removed the Falun Gong devotee she once was. Teng travelled to China from the United States many times between February and May of last year to collect information on the Chinese Government's handling of Falun Gong issues for Beijing branches of foreign news agencies and introduced Falun Gong followers to foreign reporters. Her belief in the Falun Gong cult began to waver after she was sent to a Beijing-based re-education centre in June 2000. Recalling her former devotion to Falun Gong, Teng said that family members and friends could not persuade her to give up her blind passion for the cult. "I completely refused contact with the outside world and only believed in the cult and the propaganda that flooded the cult website," Teng said. Teng started to doubt the credibility and motives of the cult website when she found that her re-education centre roommate Yao Jie, now no longer a Falun Gong follower, was reported dead by the website because of her conversion, but was actually living a normal life. "What helped to change your belief in Falun Gong?" asked a reporter. "Truth can never be concealed for long. I saw with my own eyes police patiently helping educate Falun Gong followers and trying their best to save the lives of believers who wanted to commit suicide," said Teng. Teng has also talked with many former followers and was deeply impressed with their experiences. "My personal experience made me reconsider the so-called facts published by the cult and I completely changed my mind," said Teng. When asked about her conversion process, Teng said: "True belief can never be forced." "I am pleased to have shaken off the spiritual shackles of the Falun Gong cult and return to a normal life." Teng Chunyan is now an active member of the re-education centre dancing troupe and is busy preparing for an upcoming art performance organized by the centre. "I have not been abused since my detention and have not seen any sign of beating or admonishment here. Police in the centre are very polite and kind," said Teng. The 75-year-old father of Teng Chunyan came from Heilongjiang Province last week to visit her and was relieved to see his daughter regaining her energy and vigour. "I am happy now," Teng said, "Justice will finally defeat evil. " Maltreatment in Jail Rumor she told the reporter that she did not get any persecution, management in the jail is very civilized, she did not get any persecution in spirit and language. Altogether 13 roommates live in Teng's room, they can read English novels, dance and sing every week. On weekend evenings, they can also watch TV programs, sing karaoke. Teng is also a member in the jail art team and often participates in art performances. She met Yao Jie in the jail, she heard rumors from outside that Yao Jie died as a result of not practicing Falun Gong. This matter all of a sudden destroyed Teng's absolute belief in Falun Gong. Teng's father told reporters that many people abroad are concerned about Teng, but when they heard that she is quite ok, they did not ask any more, if they really care for her, they should tell others about Teng's condition. Teng was born in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and went to the United States in 1990. She was detained by police when she tried to enter China via Luohu Port in Shenzhen in May 2000 and was sentenced to three years of imprisonment. Beijing People's Procuratorate filed a suit against Teng in November the same year, then she was sentenced to a three-year imprisonment with deprivation of political rights for one year by Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court December 12 in the year. **** China Opposed to US Submarine Sale to Taiwan: FM Spokeswoman. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said at a press conference Tuesday that China is firmly opposed to the proposed sale of submarines to Taiwan by US companies. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said at a press conference Tuesday that China is firmly opposed to the proposed sale of submarines to Taiwan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/province/taiwan.html> by US companies. Zhang made the remark when asked to comment on the issue that some US companies have agreed to sell diesel submarines to Taiwan, saying that China is strongly opposed to US weapon sales,especially submarine sales, to Taiwan, and has held negotiations with the US on the issue. Zhang stressed that China hopes the United States realize the harm its arms sales do to Taiwan, keep to the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, especially the one issued on August 17, 1982, and stop arms sales to Taiwan in order to avoid harming Sino-US relations. **** Russian Pressurized Nuclear Reactor to Be Running in China by 2004. One of the two Russian nuclear reactors to be built for a Chinese power station will be running by 2004. The most important equipment, including the main body of the reactor, will be assembled next February for the plant at Tianwan. The cost of each 1,000-megawatt reactor is estimated at US$3 million (3.3 million euros). One of two Russian nuclear reactors to be built for a Chinese power station which will be up and running by 2004, the plant's chief engineer, Jiangsu Hua Mingchuan, told a Russian news agency Tuesday. Reactor to be assembled next February The most important equipment, including the main body of the reactor, will be assembled next February for the plant at Tianwan, Jiangsu confirmed to Interfax. Russian pressurized water reactor satisfactory "China is entirely satisfied with the Russian pressurized water reactor which Russia is going to install in the power station", Jiangsu said, adding that the safety measures used for these reactors were better than the safety regulations for reactors currently in use in China. The cost of each 1,000-megawatt reactor is estimated at US$3 million (3.3 million euros). Russia began the project in October 1999, and hopes to sell two other reactors to Beijing , as soon as China outlines its nuclear priorities in its next five-year plan. Largest cooperative project between the two countries Tianwan Nuclear Power Station is the largest cooperative project between the two countries. The first phase construction of the power project started in October 1999 and is scheduled to finish in 2004. The first phase of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Station has two nuclear power generating units with a designed capacity of 1.06 million kilowatts. Chinese and Russian technicians started to install the reactor containment for the No. 1 nuclear island of the Tianwan Nuclear Power Station in the port city of Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province on November 14. The move marks the beginning of the project's equipment installment from civil engineers. China now has four nuclear power projects under construction. The other three are the second and third phases of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Station in east China's Zhejiang Province and the Ling'ao Nuclear Power Station in south China's Guangdong Province. **** China Calls for Specific Actions to Protect Children in Armed Conflicts. Only with the early solution of conflicts and prompt settlement to crisis can the international community fully address the problem of the protection of children in armed conflicts, said Shen Guofang, the deputy Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations on Tuesday during his speech at an open U.N. Security Council meeting on the issue of children and armed conflicts. Legal norms should be observed "We believe that the most urgent task is for the various parties to abide by the legal norms which are universally accepted by the international community, and implement the relevant resolutions of the Security Council in earnest so as to translate the consensus on the protection of children in armed conflicts into action," Shen Guofang said. Effective measures to be taken to prevent, stop and end armed conflicts The Security Council has the primary responsibility for maintaining peace and security in the world, he said. "In order to truly prevent children and civilians from being hurt by armed conflicts, the priority should be given to taking effective measures to prevent, stop and end armed conflicts." "Only when the conflicts are resolved at an early date, and crisis addressed promptly can the protection of children be fully addressed," he said. Afghan children facing risk of death Regrettably, in such conflict-torn areas as Palestine and Afghanistan, there is still a lack of guarantee of the rights of children, who are among the vulnerable in the society, he said. The figures showed that 100,000 Afghan children and teenagers are facing the risk of death in this winter, he said. Relief assistance needed "We are seriously concerned over the problem, and we call for more relief assistance to the Afghan refugees and the efforts to seek a political solution to the Afghan problem at an early date," he said. China Signs UN Optional Protocol on Children China signed a United Nations document on the protection of children's rights in armed conflicts on March 15, 2001. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts was adopted by the UN General Assembly on May 25 last year and then became open for signature by UN member states. It prohibits the compulsory recruitment of children under 18 and their participation in combat. **** Letter Allegedly Contaminated With Anthrax Found in Dutch Embassy. A letter allegedly contaminated with anthrax spores and mailed to the Dutch embassy Tuesday in Jakarta was sent to the Naval Medical Research Unit 2 (Namru-2) laboratory in Central Jakarta. A letter allegedly contaminated with anthrax spores and mailed to the Dutch embassy Tuesday in Jakarta was sent to the Naval Medical Research Unit 2 (Namru-2) laboratory in Central Jakarta. "The letter will be sent to Namru-2 for further investigation,"Jakarta Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Anton Bachrul Alam was quoted by the Antara News Agency Wednesday as saying. The letter was received by the Dutch embassy Tuesday afternoon. The Namru-2 is a United States Navy laboratory that conducts research into tropical diseases in cooperation with the IndonesianMinistry of Health. The incident marks the third case this month in Indonesia involving suspicious powder being sent through the mail since the anthrax scare emerged in the United States. The British embassy and the Australia n embassy in Jakarta also received letters containing white powder which proved negative foranthrax. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
