Dear ________:

Thank you for sharing your concerns about persecution of religious groups in China. I appreciate your taking the time to get in touch.

Like you, I am deeply disturbed by China's continuing crackdown on Falun Gong practitioners.

In the last congress, I cosponsored H. Con. Res. 218, which expressed the sense of the Congress that China should stop its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. The resolution also called on the U.S. government to use every appropriate public and private forum to urge China to release Falun Gong practitioners from detention, allow them to pursue their personal beliefs in accordance with China's Constitution, and abide by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The resolution was passed unanimously by the House in November 2000, but the Senate failed to consider it before adjourning for the year.

In this Congress, I have cosponsored H.Con.Res.188, which is very similar to the resolution passed by the House last year. Also,along with my colleagues in the House, in February I sent a letter to President Bush urging him - during his February trip to China - to address Chinese officials about the continued persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. The letter also specifically urged the President to seek the release of two Falun Gong prisoners, Dr.Chunyan Teng, a 38-year-old permanent resident of the U.S., and Mr.Peng Liang, the plaintiff in a lawsuit against hte Head fo Public Security for the Hubei Province in China.

Please know that I will continue to monitor closely the activities of the Chinese government toward all its citizens.

Thanks again for contacting me. I welcome letters and e-mails from Coloradans about the issues facing our country.

Warm regards,

Mark E. Udall
Member of Congress