President Bush Signs New Legislation That Denies Entry to Those Who Have Engaged in Torture
Compiled and reported by minghui.org journalist Wang Ying
(Clearwisdom.net) On December 17, 2004, United States President George W. Bush signed into law
the Anti-Atrocity Alien Deportation Act in Washington, D.C. The act authorizes
the Justice Department to track down foreigners who have engaged in war crimes,
torture, genocide, religious persecution, or other human rights violations.
These foreigners will face denial of entry or deportation. As reported by the Associated Press, this act, introduced in Congress five
years ago, was part of the intelligence overhaul bill that Bush signed into law.
Under this new legislation, the scope of immigrants subject to deportation and
denial of entry has been expanded to those who have engaged in torture, genocide
and religious persecution. This legislation has given the Justice Department expanded powers in tracking
down foreigners who have committed war crimes or human rights violations in
their home countries. It has also expanded the legal grounds of inadmissibility
and deportability covering foreigners who have committed acts of torture or
extrajudicial killings abroad and removing the restrictions on
"genocide" and "foreign government officials who have committed
particularly severe violations of religious freedom." Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D., Vt.), who co-sponsored the bill in the Senate,
said it updated the charter of the Justice Department's Office of Special
Investigations, which was set up in 1979 to prosecute and remove Nazi war
criminals who sought refuge in this country. The new law will allow the Justice
Department to investigate war criminals of later generations and human rights
abusers, as well. Rep. Mark Foley (R., Fla.), who co-sponsored the bill in the House, said in a
statement, "The United States is currently home to many immigrants who fled
torture in their home countries. What many people don't know is that their
torturers also come here to live." In March 2004, the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun
Gong (WOIPFG) submitted a list of names of 102 Chinese government officials,
including Jiang Zemin, who should take most of the responsibility in the
persecution of Falun Gong, and asked the U.S. government to bar them from
entering the United States. List of names of 102 Chinese government officials who have abused human
rights, including Jiang Zemin, submitted to the U.S. government The 102 Chinese government officials on this list should take most of the
responsibility in the widespread crimes against humanity committed during the
persecution of Falun Gong, including murdering Falun Gong practitioners, torture
that has led to injuries and permanent physical disability, sending Falun Gong
practitioners to detention centers and labor camps arbitrarily, imposing large
fines on practitioners, causing the disappearance of practitioners using the
same measures employed by underground figures of organized crime, or otherwise
depriving practitioners of their rights to life, freedom, and safety. All of
these crimes have been carried out against law-abiding people simply because of
their belief in Falun Gong. The No. 1 perpetrator, Jiang Zemin, and his followers Luo Gan, Liu Jing, Zhou
Yongkang, Li Lanqing, Wang Maolin and others are on the list. WOIPFG's document
has pointed out that since July 1999, Jiang Zemin, out of jealousy, resorted to
torture and other unprecedented measures to systematically force Falun Gong
students to give up their belief in
"Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance." Jiang has coerced and enticed
with economic incentives, officials and police officers to also engage in the
crimes. He encourages them to violate their conscience, and has alternately
threatened them with implication and promised financial rewards in his mission
to turn the entire society against human decency and conscience. The crimes listed in the report to the U.S. government are supported by hard
facts of grave severity. It is expected that more countries will pass
legislation that denies entry to those perpetrators who have persecuted Falun
Gong students. The evil is to have nowhere to hide. US Court Affirms That Beijing Party Secretary Liu Qi Is Liable for Crimes of
Torture Some officials have already been found guilty in the U.S. After a one-year
trial, on December 8, 2004, Judge Wilkin of the United States District Court
Northern District of California affirmed a magistrate's ruling that Beijing
Communist Party Secretary Liu Qi is liable for the crimes of torture and
anti-humanity of the police under his administration in persecution of Falun
Gong. The civil lawsuit was filed in 2002 by two citizens of China, two Swiss
citizens, one French, and one American based on the Alien Tort Claims Act and
Torture Victim Protection Act. The six plaintiffs were beaten brutally and
tortured in Beijing, including Leeshai Lemish, who was arrested and beaten
brutally for appealing for Falun Gong on Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 2001 Liu Qi was Mayor of Beijing at the time, and received the subpoena in San
Francisco on his way to Salt Lake City to attend the Winter Olympics as director
of the Chinese Olympic team. He was charged for crimes of torture, other cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment, arbitrary detention, crimes against humanity,
and interference with freedom of religion and belief. On June 11, 2003, a Magistrate found that Liu was guilty and not entitled to
the immunity given foreign officials and sent his recommendation to the District
Court. On December 8, 2004, the district judge adopted the magistrate's
recommendations that Liu was guilty. Jiang Zemin, among 45 Chinese officials placed on a watch list of Canadian
Royal Mounted Police In September of 2003, the Canadian Falun Dafa Association submitted to
officials of Canada-based Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Program (CAHWCP)
a list of names of 15 people who have initiated and actively participated in the
persecution of Falun Gong, as well as evidence of the crimes that they have
committed. At the end of January 2004, a list of 30 more people was submitted to
CAHWCP. As a result, since January 2004, the Canadian Royal Mounted Police has
on their watch list 45 leaders of the Chinese Communist Party committees at
various levels, heads of 610 Offices, government officials and labor camp
officers. On the list are Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Li Lanqing, Liu Qi, among others. The
Canadian Royal Mounted Police has accepted the list of names and the evidence.
It has been verified that official records have been established in Canada's
Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Program. If any individual who is
suspected to have participated in the persecution of Falun Gong enters Canada,
the Canadian police will immediately open an investigation. Based on Canada's
anti-humanity and anti-war crime legislation, if the charges are held, the
person being investigated will face deportation, expulsion, or criminal
lawsuits. Such an individual is not qualified for diplomatic exemption. Evildoers have nowhere to escape but to face trial In December 2001 the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York
ruled against Zhao Zhifei, chief of police and second-in command of the 610
Office in Hubei Province. So far, a total of four similar civil lawsuits in the
U.S. have already seen judgments in favor of Falun Gong. Many Chinese officials have since realized that they cannot escape from
punishment, no matter which corner of the world they run to. High-ranking
Chinese officials participating in the persecution of Falun Gong have been
placed in an awkward position in their recent visits overseas, fearing the
possible charges brought up against them by Falun Gong students. The Party Secretary of Gansu Province, Su Rong, was served with a summons
delivered by a Marshall of the Zambia High Court on the afternoon of November 4,
2004. He was on the delegation led by Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the standing
committee of China's National People's Congress. Falun Dafa practitioners filed
a civil law suit against Su for his crimes of murder, torture and defamation of
Falun Dafa practitioners during his tenure as the Head of the Jilin Provincial
610 Office. After almost ten days of hiding and under an arrest warrant, Su crossed the
Chirundu border post in Zambia, and hid in Zimbabwe, then escaped to South
Africa and flew back to China on Monday evening, November 15, 2004. Falun Dafa
practitioners expressed that they will not give up, and intend to bring Su Rong
to justice by taking his case to The International Court of Justice in The
Hague. So far, Falun Gong students worldwide have filed lawsuits against Jiang Zemin
and his followers in 28 countries on the grounds of torture and other cruel
treatment, genocide, and human rights abuses. History will demonstrate that
dictators and their followers who have committed such crimes have nowhere to
hide. December 18, 2004
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/12/19/91780.html
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