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December
9, 2003
President
Bush:
I
write in advance of your upcoming meeting with Premier Wen Jiabao,
of the People's Republic of China (PRC), to request that the issues
of Falun Gong persecution and security for Taiwan be placed at the
top of the agenda for your discussions. The mistreatment of Falun
Gong practitioners and the people of Taiwan at the hands of the PRC
are of grave concern, and should certainly be addressed during these
talks.
Chinese
persecution of the Falun Gong has not subsided despite concerns that
have been repeatedly expressed both by Congress and your
Administration. Dr. Charles Lee, a United States citizen and Falun
Gong practitioner, has been detained in China for nearly a year,
with reports indicating that he has been forced to endure both
mental and physical tortures. He is just one of thousands that have
been detained and persecuted by the Chinese government due to their
beliefs. Simply stated, the PRC must not be allowed to continue
these blatant violations of human rights.
Concerning
cross-Strait relations between China and Taiwan, I firmly hold that
it is in the best interests of the United States to support Taiwan
as a developing democracy. Taiwan should be able to hold referenda
votes on issues of importance to its citizens, including
independence, without the threat of military consequences from the
PRC. In light of threats posed by the PRC (most notably, the
military buildup in Fukien), the United States must unequivocally
and explicitly reaffirm our promise to support the
self-determination of the people of Taiwan.
Thank
you for taking my views into consideration while preparing for your
upcoming meeting.
Sincerely,
Robert
E. Andrews
Member
of Congress
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