On Saturday, January 18, 2003, Harry Wu will attend New York State Senator-Elect Reverend Ruben Diaz's Inauguration Celebration in The Bronx. The event is scheduled for 3pm at IS 116 located on Westchester Avenue and Tiffany Street.

"Reverend Diaz's reputation on issues of religious freedom and human rights - particularly on China - has certainly been recognized by many leaders outside of his community," stated the Washington DC-based Harry Wu. "The current situation in China regarding Evangelical Christians and other people of faith is getting much worse. I look forward to meeting New York's newly elected State Senator Diaz - a forceful and principled advocate."

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By Ann Noonan

Has the State Department sent a signal to Beijing that it will
downplay concerns over China's notorious and ongoing abuse of believers? That's something U.S.-based defenders of a wide array of hounded and hunted Chinese groups - from "underground" Catholics allied to the Vatican to Falun Gong practitioners - want answered.

Concerns over an apparent Foggy Bottom policy shift were prompted two weeks ago, when John Hanford, U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, told a congressional committee that Chinese officials are willing to permit their young to participate in religious Sunday schools and youth camps.

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