USA: CHINESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT RELIGION IN CHINA AHEAD OF U.N. SUMMIT

Record ID: 647091

  • Title: USA: CHINESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT RELIGION IN CHINA AHEAD OF U.N. SUMMIT
  • Date: 30th August 2000
  • Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (AUGUST 25, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. SLV PANELISTS SPEAKING AT TABLE 0.05 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. WENZAO HAN, SAYING "According to that press release about three Taiwanese born Americans, that reminds me the fact about law-abiding, I think every visitor to visit certain countries should be law abiding." 0.35 3. SCU MEDIA LISTENING 0.40 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) BISHOP MICHAEL FU TIESHAN, SAYING: "Actually back in China we've heard that overseas in foreign countries there are some people who like to point their fingers at China. And this time you can see we have religious leaders from the five major religions sitting here at this press conference. . .they come to the United States for research, visit United States churches and we will attend the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual leaders. This itself will serve as a witness that there is no so-called religious persecution in China. " 1.29 5. SLV PANELISTS PAN TO MEDIA LISTENING (3 SHOTS) 1.43 6. ADVISORY DIRECTOR OF ASIA AND PACIFIC AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL T. KUMAR AT DESK 1.51 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) T. KUMAR, ADVISORY DIRECTOR OF ASIA AND PACIFIC, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, SAYING: "The person who responded even though he or she may belong to one of the religions they are representing, they are part of the system, they are part of the government. so technically they have to deny that religious persecution is going on in China. It's their job basically to do that." 2.10 8. SCU KUMAR SPEAKING TO JOURNALIST 2.15 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) T. KUMAR SAYING "In China, the religious oppression is in practice at this moment. We have not seen any changes over the years. As a matter of fact if we have seen anything the crackdown in Tibet and Xianxiang in the Moslem Province is intense. It's intensifying there." 2.33 10. SCU PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS AND CHANTING OUTSIDE CHINESE EMBASSY (4 SHOTS) 2.58 WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FILE) (REUTERS) 11. SCU DALAI LAMA SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 3.10 WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (AUGUST 25, 2000) (REUTERS) 12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER (TIBETAN MONK UNIDENTIFIED) TALKING ABOUT DALAI LAMA, SAYING: "He always is working for peace, peaceful solutions negotiations and non violent approaches. so therefore his presence in the summit is must and his absence really shows that this summit is not going to that successful." 3.36 UNITED NATIONS (FILE) (REUTERS) 13. SLV EXTERIOR UNITED NATIONS BUILDING/SLV FLAGS (2 SHOTS) 3.47 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 14th September 2000 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES/ UNITED NATIONS
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVADTZZ4BGI8SVROGOUI4OM1IBMR
  • Story Text: A delegation of Chinese religious leaders have held a
    news conference in Washington to answer questions about
    religion in China and alleged religious persecution ahead of a
    summit at the United Nations next month.

    Ahead of a religious summit at the United Nations
    which will take place next month, seven Chinese officials
    representing five religions, spoke in a panel discussion about
    religion in China and addressed allegations of religious
    persecution. The representatives of the Protestant, Catholic,
    Buddhist, Moslem and Taoist religions in China spoke at the
    Chinese Embassy in Washington, as part of a tour around the
    U.S on Friday (August 25).

    A heated moment came when the panel was asked about 130
    Chinese and 3 Americans held in prison for being part of a
    banned Christian Church. The three Taiwanese Americans were
    released Friday, two days after they were taken into custody.

    Dr. Wenzao Han answered, saying he did not have information
    except for what he received from America in the form of a
    press release written by Taiwanese born journalists.

    "According to that press release about three Taiwanese
    born Americans . . .that reminds me. . .I think every visitor
    to. . .countries should be law abiding," he said, adding that
    some religious activities are not law-abiding, including
    preaching without an invitation by a religious council.

    Another representative on the panel, Catholic Bishop
    Michael Fu Tieshan, said that the panel itself represented the
    fact that there is not religious persecution in China.

    "We've heard that overseas in foreign countries there
    are some people who like to point their fingers at China. And
    this time you can see we have religious leaders from the five
    major religions sitting here at this press conference. .
    .they come to the United States for research, visit United
    States churches and we will attend the United Nations
    Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual
    leaders. This itself will serve as a witness that there is no
    so-called religious persecution in China, " Fu said.

    An Amnesty International representative said that he was
    not surprised if religious leaders evaded or denied cases of
    imprisonment and alleged religious persecution.

    T. Kumar, the Advisory Director of Asia and Pacific for
    Amnesty International suggested the religious representatives
    were under the control of the state.

    "The person who responded even though he or she may
    belong to one of the religions they are representing, they are
    part of the system, they are part of the government. so
    technically they have to deny that religious persecution is
    going on in China. It's their job basically to do that," said
    Kumar.

    He went on to say that religious persecution in China is
    only worsening, especially in terms of Tibet and the western
    provinces. "In China, the religious oppression is in practice
    at this moment. We have not seen any changes over the years.

    As a matter of fact if we have seen anything the crackdown in
    Tibet and Xianxiang in the Moslem Province is intense. It's
    intensifying there," added Kumar.

    Outside of the Chinese embassy protesters for a "free
    Tibet" chanted in support of gaining autonomy for the Tibet
    region and spoke out against the Dalai Lama's exclusion from
    the upcoming conference. They said the Dalai Lama is the true
    representative of Buddhism in China. The Dalai Lama will not
    be attending as he did not receive an invitation from the
    United Nations.


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