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On The Significance of the Genocide Lawsuit Brought Against Jiang Zemin
By Yuming (Clearwisdom.net) Last October, toward the end of his visit to the US, Jiang Zemin was served with a lawsuit filed
against him in the United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, by
Falun Gong practitioners, for his crimes of genocide. As the case proceeds, the Court is holding
hearings. The unique nature of the case gives it immeasurable meaning and profound historic impact. First, it has a very positive effect in helping people to understand Falun Gong, in rescuing
innocent people, and in stopping the persecution. Over the past three years, Jiang's policy of
genocide against Falun Gong practitioners has consisted of "defaming their reputations,
bankrupting them financially, and destroying them physically," and "beating them to death
is nothing, and their death will be counted as suicide." As a result several thousand Falun
Gong practitioners have been tortured to death. Over one hundred thousand have been illegally
sentenced to forced labor camps. Several thousand have been forced into mental institutions, where
they have received injections of drugs that severely damaged their central nervous systems. A large
number of Falun Gong practitioners have been taken by force to "brainwashing classes" to
undergo mental torture. Even more have been brutally beaten, physically tortured, and financially
extorted by those supposedly upholding the law. Families have been torn apart. Thousands have been
forced to leave home to escape illegal arrest and torture. Hundreds of millions of Falun Gong practitioners' relatives and friends have been suffering
because they are either directly or indirectly affected by the genocide. This is precisely the
definition of "Genocide:" acts committed with the
intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, in a
systemic way. Because Jiang has control over all of the media and all of the political machines in
China, he has been conducting a massive campaign of destruction against Falun Gong, both in China,
and around the world, using strict control of information. His strategy of easing control over other
groups, and focusing on Falun Gong, along with the hypocritical nature of his show-style
performance, has made it difficult for people to see clearly what he has done, and who he really is.
People are not able to understand the facts of the situation because of the false information
disseminated about Falun Gong. A lot of foreign government officials have not been able to tell who
is right, and who is wrong, which has greatly impaired their ability to recognize and support
justice. This lawsuit offers Falun Gong practitioners an opportunity to investigate and present evidence
of the atrocities committed using the justice system. Because of the serious nature of this court
case, the evidence presented will be different from the evidence distributed by Falun Gong
practitioners who bring the situation to the attention of the public. The evidence will be more
objective. It will have a more formal meaning, so that more government officials and more of the
public will be able to understand Falun Gong with a more objective and fair attitude. After
understanding the facts, people will be able to better support Falun Gong's effort to stop the
persecution so that it will end sooner. Second, this lawsuit will have a tremendous suppressing effect on those who persecute Falun Gong
practitioners. The reason that they dare to act with impunity in torturing thousands of Falun Gong
practitioners to death is that they thought that their crimes would never become known [560 have
been confirmed dead. However, due to the strict information blockade, and the family members' fear
of reprisal, the actual number must far exceed 560. According to Chinese government's internal
statistics reported in October of 2001, the actual death toll of practitioners was well over 1600].
Even if they became known, the perpetrators never thought they would receive punishment. Although,
inside China, no action is currently being taken to punish high-ranking officials, the lawsuit filed
in the United States will mean that the facts will receive serious evaluation. Once the case is won,
the persons who committed genocide will be punished. After the Holocaust, people searched for Nazi
criminals for their entire lives. Government officials and policemen, who have been responsible for
acts of genocide against Falun Gong, will restrain their behavior once they are faced with such
serious future consequences. The lawsuit mobilizes the strong force of justice on a global scale. Large numbers of people who
oppose tyrannical regimes, and who are fighting for civil rights, will recognize a powerful tool
available to them in their quest for justice. It has always been extremely difficult for a minority
group to fight tyranny. For Falun Gong practitioners, however, the case serves as recognition and
affirmation of their avoidance of force in their nonviolent approach. The defendant is the most
powerful dictator in the world today. He has been ruling China for over a decade, and holds the
highest title in the party, government, and military. He has control over several million soldiers,
and several hundred thousand intellectuals. He holds hostage an economic body consisting of more
than ten billion people. He wins people's hearts with his hypocritical performance by catering to
their economic interests. It is unthinkable for ordinary people to put such a person on trial.
Nevertheless, he is on trial. The defendant has been served. The case will receive its due
attention. The tyranny will be on trial and people's rights will be respected--it doesn't matter
who the defendant is, what official position he holds, or where he is. This lawsuit also means that goodness and justice are sacred and inviolable. The effect on
people's attitudes will be profound. Jiang's persecution of Falun Gong is a war between good and
evil. He knows that Falun Gong practitioners will not resort to violence, which is why he dares to
undertake his cruel persecution. He has taken advantage of Chinese society's belief that good people
can be pushed around easily. He has exploited the mentality of fear of strong figures, who bully
nice people, accumulated over several-thousand-years of Chinese history. He has made full use of the
mentality of fear toward the government. So many people fall into the trap of believing that you are
good if the government says you are good, and you are bad if the government says you are bad. Given
this background, there is little belief left in justice and fairness in the world. In terms of government's suppression, people have developed the mindset of enduring endlessly,
without complaint, until the government comes to an end. Virtue, which we are supposed to cherish,
is viewed as the useless attribute of fools. The moral standard of the human mind has fallen so
terribly. Society has become twisted, with hidden danger and crises lurking everywhere.
Reestablishing virtue, conscience, and justice will be the final resolution of society's deepest
problems. Historically, it is not a rare case for innocent people, when persecuted, to use the Court
to obtain justice. However, despite the ruthless persecution, Falun Gong practitioners are fearless
and firm in confronting the highest-ranking official of the most powerful dictatorship--this is
unprecedented. What is even more admirable and stunning is the use of peaceful measures in steadfastly holding
to beliefs that are both sacred and inviolable. It is the equivalent of fighting a dragon with bare
hands. The new "World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" (WOIPFLG)
has expressed it well: "To investigate the criminal conduct of all institutions, organizations,
and individuals involved in the persecution of Falun Gong will be investigated; to bring such
investigation, no matter how long it takes, no matter how far and deep we have to search, to full
closure; to exercise fundamental principles of humanity; and to restore and uphold justice in
society." What a remarkable determination and spirit! In the eyes of Falun Gong practitioners, goodness and
justice are the expression of the power of heaven's principles and are sacred and inviolable. No
earthly power, and no dictatorship can compete with it. If they make the attempt, their fate will be
complete elimination. Never in history, and never in mankind's future will people place such a high
value on goodness. It is not hard to understand why, over the past three-plus years, Falun Gong
practitioners have unwaveringly stood up against the onslaught of such cruel persecution. This is a
tremendous inspiration to all people with a kind nature and a heart for justice. It is the remedy
for this age, when moral standards have been rapidly declining, and society has been beset with a
myriad of problems. It is a brand new hope for human beings whose future previously looked bleak.
The lawsuit supports justice, supports goodness, and contributes greatly to society's future. When
history looks back, it will see even more clearly the glory of this event. The law of heaven always prevails. Good will be rewarded with good and evil will be met with
retribution. The net of justice has a wide mesh, but it lets no criminals through. Just as the
Nazis, who slaughtered millions of Jewish people, eventually received retribution, and just as the
Italian dictator Mussolini did not escape punishment under the law, similarly, Jiang Zemin, the man
who has committed such horrendous crimes against the Chinese people, will not escape the punishment
of history. The trial has already begun. |