Descripción de Daughter Fears for Mother in China:

And in the U.S. one Albany woman is deeply concerned about her mother, who was recently released from a brainwashing center in China. NTD's Sarah Matheson tells us why. In 1995, Annie Li started practicing Falun Gong in Beijing. After her mother mailed her the book Zhaun Falun. At that time in China, Falun Gong was very popular. And by 1999 the number of practitioners had grown to 100 million. But all that changed on July 20, 1999 when China's leader at that time, Jiang Zemin, banned the practise . A branch of the police was set up to monitor and persecute Falun Gong practitioners. [Annie Li, Albany, New Jersey, U.S.A.]: "Around me, our neighbours, some were arrested. Some were detained. Some were sentenced to several years in jail. So that's all I can imagine. At that time I really can't believe they have the organ harvest, those kind of brutal persecution to Falun Gong practitioners." In 2001 Miss Li left China. She moved to the United States to complete her Masters in agricultural economics. For Falun Gong practitioners in the mainland it was still very dangerous, but her mother continued to practice and believe in Falun Gong. In March this year Miss Li's mother and her aunt were both arrested in the communist party's pre-Olympic crackdown. Her mother spent her 67th birthday in a brainwashing centre. [Annie Li, Albany, New Jersey, U.S.A.]: "As soon as I heard the news I went to look for the New York legislators. Look for their help and collect petitions for my congressmen." The pressure on her family has been tremendous. [Annie Li, Albany, New Jersey, U.S.A.]: My family, basically they are scared. As mother and wife, my father's wife, they are worried. They even start to blame my mother for holding her belief. Because of the communist party's propaganda." In China, practitioners in detention are encouraged to sign a statement saying they will stop practising Falun Gong. The guards say that if they stop practising they will be free to go. [Annie Li, Albany, New Jersey, U.S.A.]: "In China, even if you renounce and you are brainwashed, they will not let you go until you go to brainwash other Falun Gong practitioners. And they will keep you in the brainwash center, some, I know for sure, over three years. Even though you say, 'I don't want to practice anymore.' The communist party also puts pressure on friends and family to try to stop individuals from practising. [Annie Li, Albany, New Jersey, U.S.A.]: "My older sister who lives in Beijing got threatened by local policemen. They say my older sister is responsible to monitor her when she comes back. And the other day my mother told me still have someone following her around." Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual practiced based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Practitioners do five gentle excercises each day to promote health, including meditation. Sarah Matheson, NTD, New York.