(Clearwisdom.net, September 9, 2003)
Falun Gong practitioner exposes the persecution and Appeals to bring Jiang Zemin to justice in Madrid:
Today, a press conference was held in Madrid. A bereaved wife of a Falun Gong practitioner who was persecuted to death by Chinese Government in June 2001 also attended. She is currently on a trip around Europe in an attempt to expose the unjust persecution of Falun Gong in China, and appeal to bring the former Chinese president, Jiang Zemin, to justice on charges of genocide and brutal torture.
Dai Zhizhen is an Australian citizen, who has traveled to 34 countries worldwide, together with her 3-year-old daughter, to expose the truth behind the Jiang regime's persecution of Falun Gong. Her husband was tortured to death because of this persecution. Her husband's elder sister is currently being imprisoned in a forced labor camp. Since the persecution of Falun Gong began in 1999, there have been 772 people tortured to death.
772 however is only the number of deaths that can be verified. The Chinese government has long regarded this kind of information as a national secret, and no-one is allowed to investigate it independently. It is impossible for the outside world to know the true death toll. Falun Gong practitioners believe that the real number of practitioners persecuted to death may be as high as 2000, or possibly even more.
Zhizhen also attended the UN Human Rights Conference in Geneva last year. At the conference she urged mothers around the world to help stop this persecution that has broken up tens of millions of families. She also added; "I hope my husband's death can save more lives."
"This persecution is the largest massacre by the Chinese Communist Party in its history. In terms of its scope and the number of victims, this persecution has overshadowed the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and also any other political movement in China's history. But the Chinese government continues to cover up the truth, so many people do not understand the truth," a Falun Gong practitioner added.
Falun Gong Associations in many countries around the world, including the US, Belgium, Switzerland and France, have formally lodged lawsuits against China's ex-President Jiang Zemin on charges of genocide and brutal torture. Moreover, many non-governmental human rights organizations, such as the Amnesty International and Human Right Watch, etc., have expressed their support for the lawsuits.
Persecution began in 1999
Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese practice of cultivation and meditation based on the universal principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance." People usually practice outside in parks. Since this practice was first introduced to the public in 1992, it has been widely accepted by the general public. At first, Falun Gong was supported and praised by the Chinese government, on the grounds that it contributed to people's health.
The number of Falun Gong practitioners quickly amounted to between 80 million and 100 million (accounting for about 8% of the Chinese population). The fact that it outnumbered the members of the Chinese Communist Party made Jiang Zemin extremely jealous. Therefore he outlawed Falun Gong in 1999, and launched a brutal oppression in an attempt to entirely eradicate Falun Gong. A practitioner said: "This suppression resulted from Jiang Zemin's jealousy, because Falun Gong was very popular among the public, but Jiang was unable to control it directly."
At that time, Jiang established the "610 Office." The sole purpose of having this organization was to carry out his order to "defame their reputations, bankrupt them financially, and destroy them physically." Those responsible for the "610 Office" are formally charged with cruel torture and the death of more than 1,600 Falun Gong practitioners. Among the dead, many have been persecuted to death after being forcibly sent to mental hospitals.
Fabricated news:
"The Chinese government has consistently released fabricated news," a Spanish practitioner pointed out, citing the "Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident" as an example. The Chinese media has reported that some Falun Gong practitioners died from self-immolation in Tiananmen Square. However, the analysis of the video afterwards confirmed that the Chinese police fabricated the incident.
Since then, Falun Gong practitioners have also accused Jiang's regime of extending the suppression overseas. Chinese embassies around the world, including the one in Spain have refused to renew Falun Gong practitioners' passports, even though they have legitimate residency status and working permits. As to the western Falun Gong practitioners, they have been denied entry to Chinese territory. Moreover, many Chinese newspapers in foreign countries have been acquired and controlled by the Chinese embassies. "They dare not carry the true news about Falun Gong. They simply carry fabricated and slanderous news given by Chinese government."
