(http://www.epochtimes.com)
【大紀元3月7日訊】80多位美國國會議員2月21日聯名致信中國駐美大使楊洁篪，要求中共立即釋放被非法拘押在中國揚州拘留所的美國公民查爾斯李(李祥春)。這次聯署簽名呼吁活動由美國國會加州眾議員安娜 G.艾舒(Anna G. Eshoo)在2月初發起，不到兩周，超過八十位美國國會議簽名支持該倡議。新唐人電視2月20日採訪了國會議員安娜.艾舒。安娜議員強調中國政府應該無條件釋放李祥春﹐並指出衡量一個國家是否偉大的最重要標準就是這個國家的政府是否善待它的人民。以下為訪談實錄。
問﹕能談談您致同僚們(關於美國公民李祥春被關押一事﹐譯者注)的信嗎﹖
答﹕我函邀眾院的同事們與我一起致信中國駐美使館﹐表達我們對李博士所遭受的不公正待遇的強烈不滿。我為此信在國會中所引起的強烈反響感到震動。包括民主和共和兩黨在內的共83位議員在信上署名。這封信目前已轉交給中國駐美大使﹐督促他通過一切可行的方式恢復李博士的人生自由﹐並允許他返回美國。李博士是美國公民﹐住在門洛公園市﹐是我所在選區的選民。這次我與其他83位眾院的議員聯署簽名已使李博士在眾院內贏得了眾多的朋友和支持﹐我為此感到非常地驕傲。我同時認為這也使中國政府充分地意識到我們對此事的關注以及對要求釋放李博士的強烈態度。
問﹕能預料一下這封信的後果嗎﹖
答﹕信將直接送交中國駐美大使。這封信代表着多重的含義。首先﹐此信將顯示除了安娜.艾舒之外﹐其他眾多眾院議員對此事的關切﹐表明我們將拭目以待﹐密切關注這個美國公民被以莫須有的罪名起了訴而面臨判處15年監禁的事件﹐另外﹐我們認為中方完全沒有指控李博士任何罪名的任何證據。我們將堅定地站在李博士的一邊。他是一名美國公民﹐必須早安地回到美國。
問﹕您與中國政府有過接觸嗎﹖
答﹕我曾多次與中國政府接觸過﹐主要是關於美國公民在人權問題上一次又一次所受到的中國政府的不公正待遇。在李博士與其他相關法輪功成員的案例上﹐我們不認為在當今這個尊重信仰自由的時代﹐任何政府有權對待不同信仰者實行鎮壓。我希望中國政府能坦承他們對李博士的錯誤指控以獲得國際社會的諒解。我認為這才是問題的關鍵所在﹐我們將不斷朝此方向努力。
問﹕您與美國國務院有過聯係嗎﹖
答﹕有﹐但尚未得到國務院方面的回復。我們一直讓國務院方面了解我們所作的努力。當然了﹐一封由84名眾院議員聯署的信件一定會引起國務院和中國方面的重視的。我們所作的一切努力都將圍繞在促使李博士獲釋﹐重獲自由﹐並平安地返回美國。我們一刻都沒有認同過中方強加在李博士頭上的重罪。李博士已在監禁中﹐我們只希望他能盡快獲釋並重返美國。
問﹕在我們早些時候採訪法輪功學員時﹐他們對美方只被允許每月一次30分鐘與李博士進行非常短暫的接觸表示關切﹐他們非常擔心在每月的其他時間中會發生什麼﹐中方很可能製造偽證。
答﹕儘管我們還是要問清為什麼李博士會被關押﹐因何被指控﹐中方已採取了哪些步驟等等問題。但在我看來﹐中國政府已經對此事單方面做出了結論。我不認為他們還處于考慮階段﹐他們已經作了在我們看來不正確也不合情理的指控。他們在未經正式法律程序之前就將李博士關押﹐並準備將其判處15年監禁的重刑。這是完全不公平的。這就是為什麼84位眾議員要一起說﹕這麼做沒有道理﹐放了他﹗
問﹕您認為美國政府在此問題上能做些什麼﹖
答﹕我認為我們正在做我們所應該做的。我們要用一切方式去呼籲﹐通過各種渠道進行喊話﹐持續﹐堅定地以尊重他們的方式向他們施加壓力﹐毫不間斷地密切關注此事。李博士不獲釋放﹐決不罷休。這就是我們所應該做的﹐所正在做的﹐和必須去做的。
問﹕下一步將如何辦﹖
答﹕下一步將看中方的反映。他們必須對84位議員的聯名致信做出回復。最痛快和受歡迎的回復當然是他們釋放李博士的通知。我們非常焦慮地在等待他們的答復。
問﹕中國政府對法輪功的鎮壓已持續了三個多年頭﹐現在他們居然抓捕練習法輪功的美國公民﹐您對此有何看法﹖
答﹕在過去幾年中有好幾個美國公民因練習法輪功而被中國政府關押或監禁的案例。每次營救行動我都參加了﹐每次營救都獲得了成功。除了總體上的努力非常重要之外﹐其中每個案件都應得到足夠的重視﹐因為每個案件都是人命關天。我們所做的一切就是在告訴中國政府﹕如果你確實想成為一個好政府﹐你就應該善待你的人民。這就是我們的民主原則﹐這就是為什麼我們要挺身而出﹐因為這是我們作為一個民主國家所能做的最好的出口。我們不僅僅在對待中國政府上如此﹐也同樣地對待世界上其他類似的政府。衡量一個國家是否偉大的最重要標準就是這個國家的政府是否善待它的人民。正因為此我認為李博士這件事非常重要。
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An Interview with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo:
Q: Can you tell us about the Dear Colleague Letter?
Eshoo: I invited my colleagues to join with me in sending a letter to the Chinese Ambassador in America, our very strong objection to what’s happening to Dr. Li. I am overwhelmed by the support generated with the member of the congress. 83 member of the House, on bipartisan basis, both republicans and democrats, signed the letter that we are now sending to the Chinese Ambassador urging him to do everything he can to see to it to Dr. Li to be released and be allowed to return to America. He is a US citizen, he resides in Menlo Park, and he is my constituent. I think with securing 83 other members of Congress to sign on means he has many friends in the Congress to speak on his behalf. I’m very proud of that. I also think it presents a very full and noticeable case to the Chinese government that we are watching and that we insist on his release.
Q: What will happen with the letter?
Eshoo: It’ll go directly to the Chinese Ambassador. The letter serves more than on purpose. It means that many members of Congress now have weighed in, not just Anna Eshoo, that we are watching and this is of high importance to us, that we will stay on this case of this American citizen who we believe have been falsely charged, and what he faces is 15 years imprisonment. So we do not believe there is evidence against Dr. Li that warrants anything much less a 15-year prison sentence. We are going to continue to stand next to Dr. Li, he is an American citizen and we insist his safe return.
Q: Have you contacted Chinese government?
Eshoo: I have contacted Chinese government many times. It centers in and around American citizens and how they have been treated by the Chinese government on many fronts, certainly in terms of human rights, over and over again. On this case Dr. Li, as has been the cases with others, that members of Falun Gong their beliefs, their practices, that we do not believe in this great democracy where people can express themselves their belief, their practices, that warrants the utmost, in terms of a government being punitive. I think the Chinese government should be looking for ways for their acceptance, their broad acceptance in the world community. So they have the opportunity to write the wrong they have imposed on Dr. Li. That’s what it is about and we’ll stay on it.
Q: Have you contacted US State Department?
Eshoo: We haven’t heard back from State Department. We have kept the State Department informed of our efforts. Certainly a letter signed by 84 members of Congress will more get their attention, as should the Chinese government. This is all about freeing Dr, Li, releasing him and allowing him to come back to the U.S., and we do not for one moment agree with the charges have been brought against him and this extraordinary penalty that is hanging over his head. He is imprisoned now, he is held. So we want to see his swift release and his return to the US.
Q: It is said that the US Consulate in China can only visit Dr. Charles Li for 30 minutes per month. What do you think of that?
Eshoo: It is not becoming the Chinese government treat anyone right. I think there is recognition on that. That’s very unusual that 84 members signed onto a letter. Sometimes there are 4, sometimes there are 2, maybe 8 or 9. 84 members of congress is a very clear signal to the Chinese government in this case about Dr. Li. I am proud of leading the effort. But it becomes an even more important effort when so many congress members say, “we care as well, and we insist that Dr. Li is released.” So I am going to remain positive that the Chinese government will do the right thing. They have done the wrong thing with Dr. Li, as they have with others. But they have the opportunity to make the situation right to release him and allow him to return to US with his full citizen of our great country.
Q: When we interviewed Falun Gong practitioners early, they expressed concerns of the very short visit by US officials. They worry about what will happen during the rest of the 30 days when Dr. Charles Li was not in contact with anyone. The Chinese government could make up charges and evidences.
Eshoo: In my view, the Chinese government has reached the conclusion that they wanted to reach. I don’t think they are in the process of thinking about it. They have already leveled charges that we found to be inappropriate and not correct, and they are keeping him imprisoned before they take him to a trial where they have already made up their minds where he will certainly be imprisonment for at least 15 years. This is not a fair process. Of course there should be cause of concerns about why he is being held, what the charges have been brought against him, about the steps the Chinese government has already taken. These are all grieve concerns, that’s why 84 members of congress say that’s not right. Release him.
Q: What do you think US government can do to gain the release of Dr. Li?
Eshoo: I think where we are and what we are doing is right thing to do. So every tool at our disposal needs to be brought there, we need to speak up, we need to do it in multitude voices, not just a few, we need to continue to apply the pressure on the government, very respectfully but very firmly. We will stay on this, we will watch and we will not be satisfied until Dr. Li is released. That’s what we should do, what we are doing and must continue to do.
Q: What’s the next step?
Eshoo: The next step is the Chinese government must do. They have to respond to a letter from 84 congress members. The ball is as we say in their court. We will wait for their response and then analyze what they say to us. The swiftest and most welcomed response is in their announcement that they will release Dr. Li. So we’ll anxiously wait for their responses.
Q: The Chinese government has been persecuting Falun Gong practice for over three years, and now they are arresting U.S. citizen for practicing Falun Gong. What do you think of this?
Eshoo: There have been handful cases over the last few years relating to Falun Gong practitioners who are U.S. citizens that have been arrested and held by the Chinese government. Every time I’ve weighed in and I think in every case we have been successful. But the larger part of this is, these are all very important. Each case is important because each case is human being, and what we have to stay on is being instructive to the Chinese government that if in fact you want to be a great nation, the way you come to greatness is how you treat your own people. Those are the principles of our democracy, and the greatest export that we have as a country is democracy. That’s why we stand up. That why we object not only to the Chinese government, but also to other government in the world. The greatest measure of the greatness of a nation is how it treats its people. That’s why I think it’s important.
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