FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mar. 7, 2000

Contact: 
Lawrence J. Goodrich, Communications Director, (202) 523-3240
 

What: U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom field hearing on religious freedom in China. The purpose of the hearing is to gather information for the Commission's annual report to the Administration and Congress, due May 1.

Where:  Los Angeles Unified School District, Board Room, 450 North Grand Avenue

When:  March 16, 2000, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Who:  Among well-known witnesses scheduled to appear:

• Wei Jingsheng, Chinese dissident and former political prisoner;

• Frank Lu, Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy, Hong Kong;

• Agya Rinpoche, a high-ranking Tibetan Buddhist leader who will be speaking out for the first time since fleeing China;

• Bob Fu, a leader of the underground Christian church who fled China after several arrests;

• Erping Zhang, a spokesman for and practitioner of the Falun Gong spiritual movement;

• Harry Wu, a critic of China's human rights record;

• a representative of the Uighur Muslim community.