3/13/2003

(Clearwisdom.net)

Ms. Yeong-Ching Foo, fiancée of Dr. Charles Li, who is now being detained in China, said that she received news from the U.S. consulate in Shanghai on March 10, that China is going to put Charles on trial on March 21, on the charge of sabotaging TV programs.

No Lawyers Allowed to Represent Falun Gong

According to an authority on Chinese law, there is no law in China that states that Falun Gong is illegal. Shortly after the ban of Falun Gong began in 1999, lawyers were forbidden to represent Falun Gong practitioners. Later on, this policy was changed so that lawyers were not allowed to use the defense that Falun Gong practitioners are innocent.

Computer software engineer Ms. Foo pointed out that China has never followed any law when dealing with Falun Gong practitioners. If you admit you practice Falun Gong, you will be arrested. Under such a condition, can we expect Charles Li, who is also a Falun Gong practitioner, to receive fair treatment?

Charles Li graduated from the Zhongshan Medical University in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Later he came to the U.S. and received his masters degree in physiology from the University of Illinois. Before he moved to California to run his Chinese medicine business, he worked at Harvard University. He became a U.S. citizen last year. On January 22 of this year, he was arrested at the Guangzhou Airport when he went back to China to visit his parents. The false charge imposed on him by the Chinese government may make him face a prison term up of to 15 years. Mr. Li has been detained since then, and has been deprived of visitation rights with his fiancée or family members.

A Show of Justice

With regard to the show of justice staged by the Chinese government, an analyst points out, "There is no substantial legal content. It is merely a show of justice." The Chinese police arrested and brought an accusation against a U.S. citizen, right at a time when the U.S. government is busy dealing with the war issue. It is obvious that the intention of the whole thing is to reduce the influence the U.S. government may exert on this case, to create an impression that the Chinese government taking legal action against overseas Falun Gong practitioners, and to prevent overseas practitioners from appealing against human rights abuses.

In July 1999, Jiang Zemin violated the Chinese Constitution and the law, and issued the order to ban Falun Gong through the Department of Civil Affairs. In the four years that followed, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been thrown into labor camps to be tortured without any trial. Over 600 practitioners have been tortured to death. Jiang is the one that should be put on trial, not the Falun Gong practitioners he is persecuting. These facts are well understood and documented by human rights organizations and the U.S. government.

A U.S. lawyer who has been paying attention to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners says that the current Chinese law does not protect the basic human rights of its citizen. Instead, it is used as a tool to deprive people of their rights, especially those of Falun Gong practitioners.

The Chinese Government Is Afraid of Being Exposed for Its Crimes against Falun Gong

Ms. Zhang Xuerong, one of Charles' friends in California, said that she does not believe that Charles has anything to do with TV program interception. However, during the past 4 years, Jiang's regime has blocked all the information channels and utilized state propaganda to slander Falun Gong. Many people have been deceived, and have hatred towards Falun Gong. The interception of a TV program is a peaceful act that Falun Gong practitioners take in such a situation. It is a just act. She emphasized, "It is an admirable deed to broadcast the truth about Falun Gong under such a lawless environment in China. The foundation of the law is supposed to help uphold justice."

The arrest of Charles Li has drawn wide attention in the U.S. and among Falun Gong practitioners around the world. People from all walks of life are trying their best to rescue Charles Li.

Today the news came that many practitioners in North America have started to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the evil arrangements.

"This Obviously Is Very Personal for Jiang; He Wants This Organization Crushed"

Early on November 12, 1999, the "Washington Post" published an article entitled, "Cracks in China's Falun Gong Crackdown." In this article, the author analyzed why Jiang is so eager to eradicate Falun Gong. Below are some excerpts:

"The government has branded Falun Gong 'dangerous' and 'XX' and has mobilized thousands of security personnel and the state-run press to smash the group.

...

"But the longer the campaign goes on, and the more difficulty China's authorities have in corralling Falun Gong practitioners, the more the episode is exposing China's rulers' weaknesses, insecurities and internal divisions to audiences at home and abroad.

...

"The campaign has revealed dissent at the top echelons of power, undermining the image of China's leadership as united and pragmatic. Communist Party sources said that the standing committee of the Politburo did not unanimously endorse the crackdown and that President Jiang Zemin alone decided that Falun Gong must be eliminated. Some observers believe Jiang picked what he thought was an easy target, and his resolve was only strengthened when he learned people close to him were followers of the group.

...

"'This obviously is very personal for Jiang,' said one party official. 'He wants this organization crushed.'

"Jiang's concern over Falun Gong runs so deep that during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in New Zealand in September, he handed out a book attacking the group to many of the participants at the meeting, including President Clinton. The move stunned diplomats, reinforcing concerns that party leaders have become fundamentally divorced from everyday reality and that Jiang is either unwilling or unable to engage in substantive discussions with Western leaders."

(The whole article can be viewed at

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54486-1999Nov11.html)

Posting date: 3/16/2003
Original article date: 3/15/2003
Category: Open Forum
Translated on 3/11/2003
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/3/12/46326.html

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