Saturday, May 23, 2009

Gao Zhisheng--Imprisoned and Tortured for 108 Days

Hebrews 13:3 compels us to "Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body." The organization The Voice of the Martyrs is drawing attention to Gao Zhisheng, a Christian attorney who has been taken hostage and tortured for 108 days as of today. Please go to www.freegao.com to learn more.

Here I am offering a letter that you can personalize and send to government officials. If you are in the US, you can find out who your representaives are and their address at this site: www.congress.org.

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[Your name and registered voting address]

[Date]

[Recipient's info here]

Dear [Title] [Name],

I would like to draw your attention to the plight of Gao Zhisheng. Gao Zhisheng is a 2008 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Chinese army veteran and prominent Christian attorney. He cares deeply for the nation of China, and is a loyal citizen. On February 4, 2009, Chinese authorities detained Gao Zhisheng. He was at the home of relatives in his hometown in Shaanxi province when more than a dozen Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers forcibly took him away. He is being held at an undisclosed location.

Since 2005, Gao has been repeatedly kidnapped, arrested, imprisoned and tortured by Chinese authorities for his work defending those persecuted for their faith. He, his wife, and two children have been monitored and tormented by authorities for more than two years. I am deeply concerned about Gao Zhisheng's welfare and why he is being detained. This act of arbitrary detention itself is in violation of the Chinese rule of law. As of this writing, Gao has been held hostage for [check number] days. More detailed information can be found at www.freegao.com.

The Chinese government responds to international pressure on human rights issues. As a prominent member of the United States government, whatever pressure and influence you are able to exert on the Chinese government on behalf of Gao Zhisheng would be deeply appreciated by his family and friends.

Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and service.

Sincerely,

[Your signature]
[Your printed name]

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If you live in Vancouver, WA, your representatives are:

President Barack Obama
The White House,
District of Columbia, 20500

Senator Patty Murray
173 Russell Senate Office Building,
District of Columbia 20510-4704

Senator Maria Cantwell
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building,
District of Columbia 20510-4705

Representative Brian Baird
2350 Rayburn House Office Building,
District of Columbia 20515-4703