(Clearwisdom.net) Minghui reporter Rui Ran from Boston: The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination has reached a verdict on a case filed by two reporters Feng Xuebin and Yu Kexin, who claimed they were discriminated against by two Chinese community groups for their belief in Falun Gong. Defendants Li Gang, president of the Overseas Chinese Entrepreneur Association and Xiao Lei, acting president of American Chinese Medical Association, were issued a Finding of Probable Cause.

On the evening of June 14, 2003, thirteen Chinese community organizations jointly sponsored an anti-SARS benefit concert in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Feng Xuebin and Yu Kexin went there as reporters for New Tang Dynasty TV. Although all other media were given entry, Feng Xuebin and Yu Kexin were told by Mr. Gang Li and Mr. Lei Xiao that they could not enter, and had to be escorted from the building when they refused to leave. Feng Xuebin and Yu Kexin videotaped the whole incident. The videotape became a crucial piece of evidence later in the trial. The tape shows that Mr. Xiao and Mr. Li stopped the reporters and told them they could not enter without tickets. When the reporters tried to buy tickets, they were told no tickets were sold at the concert, yet it could be seen from the videotape that people were buying tickets and entering. Later, someone gave the reporters tickets. Mr. Xiao immediately approached that person and said something to him, which resulted in him withdrawing the tickets. Mr. Xiao and Mr. Li subsequently called the police and forced the reporters to leave.

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination representatives pointed out in the verdict that the although the defendants denied discriminating against the two reporters, the videotape shows that the defendants knew the reporters were Falun Gong practitioners. Mr. Xiao ridiculed the reporters' faith and the founder of Falun Gong; the concert tickets were sold to the public at the door; someone later gave the reporters a ticket, but Mr. Xiao pulled that donor aside and said something to him, after which the person took back the tickets. The tape also reveals Mr. Xiao saying to the reporters, "I told him you are Falun Gong [practitioners]."

Section 92A, Chapter 272 of the General Laws of Massachusetts dictates:

"No owner, lessee, proprietor, manager, superintendent, agent or employee of any place of public accommodation, resort or amusement shall, directly or indirectly, by himself or another, publish, issue, circulate, distribute or display, or cause to be published, issued, circulated, distributed or displayed, in any way, any advertisement, circular, folder, book, pamphlet, written or painted or printed notice or sign, of any kind or description, intended to discriminate against or actually discriminating against persons of any religious sect, creed, class, race, color, denomination, sex, sexual orientation..."

Therefore, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination pointed out in the verdict, that the plaintiffs filed a self-explanatory suit, which is they were rejected at a public place only because of their religious belief; on the other hand, the defendants could not provide any reasonable and non-discriminatory explanation proving otherwise.

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination mentioned that Mr. Xiao and Mr. Li called the police to get rid of the reporters. According to that evening's police report, the defendants claimed, "Chinese consular officials will attend this event. These (the reporters) are Falun Gong practitioners and they want to interfere with the activities." According to the videotape, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination pointed out that, "The plaintiffs did not do anything to interfere with the concert, nor is there any evidence showing they would do so."

Yu Kexin, one of the plaintiffs said, "Before the concert we had numerous interviews with local Chinese organizations including the two defending organizations, and we all had a good relationship. However, at events that Chinese consular officials attend, the reporters would be pressured when attempting to conduct interviews."

Li Gang, one of the defendants, later said in private that he had invited Chinese consular officials from the Chinese Consulate General in New York. He was worried that the appearance of Falun Gong practitioners would displease these officials.

Something similar happened at another event. On the evening of January 30, 2004, a New Year gala performance was held at the Irvine Auditorium on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, co-sponsored by the Chinese Consulate General in New York, the Philadelphia Department of Commerce, and the China Trade Center of Philadelphia. This was the first of a series of activities of the "Splendor of China" program for cultural and business exchanges between the City of Philadelphia and partners in China. However, reporters from NTD TV were again blocked from the event. We learned from media reports that Huikang Huang, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in New York was a surprise guest at the event.

In the past several years, many Chinese consulates played both direct and indirect roles in discriminating against and harassing overseas Falun Gong practitioners. For example, they unreasonably held Falun Gong practitioners' passports that needed renewing, secretly took pictures of Falun Gong practitioners appealing in front of Chinese consulates, directly instigated Chinese community organizations to reject Falun Gong practitioners, distributed slanderous information to foreign governments, and other discriminatory acts. The Chinese consulate did this because of Jiang Zemin's orders. Jiang started this persecution out of personal interests and used the whole government machinery to carry out the persecution. Chinese embassies and consulates abroad are only some of the perpetrators of the persecution.

The corrupt deeds of consular officials of such a large country as China, ignoring diplomatic policies by slandering Falun Gong and creating conflicts within Chinese communities abroad, have severely damaged China's image in the world.

Recently, the Ontario Supreme Court announced Pan Xinchun, Deputy Consul General in Toronto, Canada, guilty of libel against a Falun Gong practitioner, which has sounded the alarm to Jiang's cohorts abroad.

The anti-discrimination verdict handed down by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination sends a clear message that Jiang's attempt to spread its persecution of Falun Gong to free foreign countries will not be tolerated.