Dutch Volunteer for Justice For The World kidnapped in China (International Press Release)

International Press Release by Justice For The World (JFW) • Human Rights Awareness Foundation

A volunteer for Justice For The World named Peter Valk, a 28-year-old Dutchman from Woerden, was kidnapped from his hotel room by 15 Chinese secret agents in the night of the 24th to the 25th of May. He was forced into a car with his head between his knees under a blanket and taken to the local '6-10 Office'. After two and a half days of detention, he was put on a plane to Thailand on the 28th of May and prohibited from entering China for the next five years. The only reason for his arrest is that Peter practices Falun Gong, a meditation practice for mind and body and for using the right to express his mind when addressing the persecution of Falun Gong.

In a personal phone call to us he said that the so-called secret agents in China tried to convince him he did something illegal to which Peter replied that in his view the persecution of Falun Gong is illegal since it does not align with the constitution of China, which grants and guaranties the protection of civil and human rights such as the right to freedom of belief. He was told that he was not in position to judge. Whether he was in that position or not, what he said was correct and he has not done anything contrary to the constitution of China and has only used his rights as described in the constitution of China and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The arrest procedure was not followed in any way, not even after the abduction. Peter was not allowed to inform either us or his family or to contact anyone, accept for after his release. Peter was visiting China for personal matters. He is a good friend of the founder of Justice For The World and was advised by him to document evidence of abuse and of human rights violations and report back to us should he happen to come across it. The secret agents were not aware of this as he only told them how Falun Gong practitioners peacefully call for an end of the persecution. They were not pleased by the information about how peaceful and wonderful Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) and consequently living according to Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance is and decided to let him go.

As to how he was tracked we have speculated on two possibilities. One is that he was followed by a person to whom he gave a brochure and the second possibility is that a secret agent from China has infiltrated among the Dutch Falun Gong practitioners and revealed information to the Chinese Communist Party. Practitioners were repeatedly hassled with questions over Peter Valk, his whereabouts, phone number and email address. This could be due to the fact that it was known that Peter had visited China before. This possibility is likely since recently another Dutch practitioner, Mona Tang was similarly harassed in China where she went for a study in February earlier this year. She was followed during her visit by the secret service and arrested twice. Mona works for another Dutch NGO that appeals for justice in China. She was one of the students witnessing the Tiananmen Square massacre at June 4 1989, for which to this day the Chinese Communist party (CCP) has not taken any responsibility.

We are looking forward to his safe return to The Netherlands.