"Do not forget the martyrs of Tian An Men Square and all those who are still suffering in the LAOGAI ! The LAOGAI must be closed !"......this is the appeal of Lu Decheng to the Italian Authorities and the Italian people.
Lu Decheng, one of the three brave men who threw eggshells full of paint on the portrait of Mao Zedong in May 1989 is now in Italy for a tour of conferences and meetings organized by the Laogai Research Foundation Italy together with the CISL Trade Union on the occasion of the eighteenth anniversary of the Massacre of Tian An Men square.
Lu arrived yesterday and was interviewed by the RAI 1, RAI 2, LA7 and SKY 24 TV stations some of which were awaiting him at the airport. Several daily newspapers also met and interviewed Lu and many articles have appeared on the press today, Saturday 2nd of June.
The prestigious ¡°Il Giornale¡± dedicated a full page to the interview see link http://www.ilgiornale.it/a.pic1?ID=182260
"I hope the Italian parliament shall follow the example of the US Congress and the German Bundestag in condemning the LAOGAI system of oppression in China¡± said Lu Decheng at a meeting with the press. Today, 2nd of June, Lu Decheng has been interviewed by the Editor of AsiaNews, Don Bernardo Cervellera. In describing his experience in the LAOGAI, Lu Decheng said that "The life in the LAOGAI Hunan Two was terrible. We were forced to work up to 15-16 hours per day from 7h00 till 22h00. After the forced labor we often had to follow the study sessions or "thought reform" that was supposed to change us into new socialist persons". Infact, continues Lu "The LAOGAI are still open today and there are currently at least 1045 LAOGAI in China as evidenced by the LAOGAI Handbook 2006 produced by the Laogai Research Foudnation of Washington"
Both the exact number of LAOGAI and the number of detainees are considered as being ¡°State Secrets¡± by the Chinese Communist Party. After the US Congress in 2005, see http://www.laogai.org/news/newsdetail.php?id=2450 also the German Bundestag has passed a Resolution against the LAOGAI, see link http://www.laogai.org/news/newsdetail.php?id=2825
Last night saw a meeting in the city of Anzio with the local media and students. The local Councillor Dr Attoni gave to Lu Decheng a memento of the occasion in the form of a special remembrance plate. Tonight, Lu Decheng shall travel to Torino where he will meet the Hon Marcenaro, President of the Human Rights Commisson of the Italian Parliament and will preside a conference organised by the CISL Trade Union and endorsed by the City of Tur¨ªn. On Monday the 4th Lu Decheng shall meet the media, students and workers at a conference organised by the CISL of the Lombardia Region in the ciy of Bergamo.
Several more meetings with media, tradeunionists and political representatives shall await Lu in Romeo on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th. On Thursday the 7th Lu decheng shall leave Italy to continue his European Trip to Spain and Denmark.
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