Members of the Falun Gong sect, which is banned in China, yesterday tried to seek help from the UN General Secretary, Mr Kofi Annan, over the arrests of Falun Gong practitioners who are being arrested and sent to labour camps. Mr Annan arrived in Beijing yesterday on a four-day visit.
Falun Gong members saw Mr Annan's visit as a chance to publicise their plight, which has worsened since Chinese authorities outlawed the sect in July and last month passed regulations which give courts wide-ranging powers to prosecute practitioners.
Ahead of the UN chief's arrival, a couple who practise Falungong approached a foreign journalist in Beijing yesterday asking how they could voice their grievances to Annan.
"We want to get the real truth about Falun Gong out. No one here would listen to us. We have no choice but to try and talk to journalists and Mr Annan," one said.
Mr Annan, who is here as part of a two-week tour of Japan, China and Turkey, had said in Japan he was puzzled by Chinese authorities' treatment of the group.
He said he would discuss the Falun Gong's treatment with the Chinese authorities during his visit and he hoped for "full and frank" talks.
"In the meantime I hope that any action the government takes will be in conformity with the basic requirements of the universal declaration of human rights and the Chinese constitution," he said.
Meanwhile, US and Chinese negotiators wrapped up a fifth day of talks on China's entry into the World Trade Organisation yesterday with no announcement of a deal.
US representative Ms Charlene Barshefsky met Chinese trade officials at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation for about 40 minutes during one session and for another two hours later.
A US spokesman would not say when Ms Barshefsky would be leaving the country. She has repeatedly put off taking flights out of Beijing in the past few days to extend the talks.