(Clearwisdom.net) From 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on January 13, 2003, Falun Gong practitioners in Los Angeles held a press conference in front of the LA Chinese General Consulate to expose the Jiang regime's recent severe persecution of Falun Gong and to call for an immediate end to the killing.

Falun Gong practitioners expressed that over the past two months, the death toll of Falun Gong practitioners in China due to the persecution dramatically increased and at least 43 death cases were reported from different places. Among the 43 practitioners who were tortured to death, there were workers, countrymen, housewives, teachers, medical doctors, engineers and retired cadres. Almost all of them had suffered cruel torture before they passed away. Meanwhile, local courts from at least 29 cities or counties severely sentenced Falun Gong practitioners to long terms in jail, with the longest term being 20 years. Falun Gong practitioners strongly demand the Chinese government to pay attention to these facts, investigate these cases, stop and punish those evildoers.

In addition, on the morning of January 13, a scheduling conference and notice of motion hearing was held in the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois in the lawsuit filed against Jiang by persecuted Falun Gong practitioners. Both the conference and the hearing went well and concluded well before noon. Counsel for the plaintiffs requested 60 days to prepare materials for trial. This and other requests by plaintiffs were granted. The judge and the counsel for the plaintiffs will hold next the meeting on March 13.

Falun Gong practitioners pointed out that Jiang is the prime criminal of this persecution. It is Jiang who ordered the "610 Office" to purposely and systematically persecute and murder Falun Gong practitioners.

As defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, "genocide" means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, such as: 1. Killing members of the group; 2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; 3. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; 4. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; 5. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

Jiang is indicted for having committed the first three crimes defined in genocide, because over the past three years, more than one thousand Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death. Means of torture are extremely ruthless, including electric shocks, water dungeons, branding and burning practitioners and exposing them to the heat or cold for long periods of time. Countless practitioners have been tortured to death or injured. Even worse, the Jiang regime has sent large numbers of perfectly healthy practitioners to mental hospitals, injecting them with mind-altering drugs and causing severe psychological damage. In addition, the Jiang regime has systematically used the state-controlled media such as television, radio, and newspapers to viciously slander and defame Falun Gong. They have forced schools, government agencies, and enterprises to institute their policies to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. This has caused Falun Gong practitioners to be unable to attend school, to have jobs, or to lead normal lives in society. Countless families have been broken apart and individuals forced to abandon their homes. Many Falun Gong practitioners have very few ways to survive on a daily basis. This is in direct violation of the third classification of the genocide law.

Falun Gong practitioners believe that no one, including heads of state, can be above the law when they commit such crimes against humanity. The crimes committed by Jiang Zemin have made him unable to get away from the judgment of history.

Practitioners expressed that violence can never conquer righteous faith. Goodness and justice are bound to win in the end. They will continue to peacefully appeal and to clarify the truth until the persecution ends. Practitioners also called on all kind-hearted people throughout the world, governments and international organizations to continue their support and strengthen the voice of justice. They also appeal to the people of insight in the Chinese government to take action to stop the Jiang regime's atrocities, to stop this harrowing national catastrophe.

To commemorate fellow practitioners who were persecuted to death in China, local Falun Gong practitioners continually held candlelight vigils on the evenings of January 12 to 14 in front of the LA Chinese Consulate.