(Clearwisdom.net) Just as the UN special rapporteur on torture was
finally about to start his long-waited investigation in China, Chinese
authorities once again postponed his visit. Although terms of the visit had been
negotiated for nearly a decade, the Chinese authorities still claimed at the
last minute that they needed more time for preparation. Critics have commented
that Jiang's followers couldn't possibly hide their crimes any longer, no matter
how much time they are given, because of the tremendous amount evidence of the
torturing of Falun Gong practitioners that has found its way out of China.
Beijing Claims that It Needs More Time to Prepare for The Visit
According to reports from AFP and BBC on June 17, the UN said China had
postponed an inspection visit in late June by its special rapporteur on torture.
The reason for the delay, as alleged by Beijing, is that the trip would involve
different authorities, departments and provinces. Human Rights Watch criticized
the delay, saying "postponement raises serious questions about the sincerity of
the government's commitment to international cooperation."
Reportedly, the trip has been discussed for nearly a decade, and Theo van
Boven was finally about to start his visit to China in late June. Then, Beijing
suddenly postponed the trip claiming that it needed more time to prepare.
Beijing alleged that the postponement should be read as a sign of just how much
importance it attached to the visit. However, Theo van Boven, the UN rapporteur
on torture, regretted the delay. Meanwhile, Zhang Qiyue, spokeswoman for the
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on June 17 that another reason for the
delay was that officials of quite a few departments were scheduled to be on
vacation during the visit, and there were also some technical problems to be
addressed.
Sincerity of the Chinese Government Questioned
According to a BBC report, Human Rights Watch said "In light of the fact that
the visit ... has been under discussion for the best part of a decade, this
eleventh-hour postponement raises serious questions about the sincerity of the
government's commitment to international cooperation." Meanwhile, Nicholas
Becquelin, of Human Rights in China, told BBC News Online that the postponement
"does nothing to dispel the impression that China has something to hide."
The BBC report said that the rapporteur had indicated he would only visit
China if he could make unannounced visits to places of detention and have
unsupervised interviews with prisoners.
According to AFP, in fact, the previous special rapporteur, Sir Nigel Rodley,
had requested an invitation to China in 1995, and China issued an invitation in
1999. However, the trip didn't become a reality as they couldn't reach agreement
on terms of the visit.
The Rapporteur Highlights China in His Torture Report
According a report by Epoch Times, the 70-year-old UN rapporteur submitted
his annual report to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights at its annual
meeting in Geneva in March. At the same time, he also announced his trip to
China.
Of the 115 countries covered, China had by far the greatest number of
verified violations in the 420-page report. In over 130 cases of reported
torture and abuse in China, approximately 100 of them were perpetrated against
Falun Gong practitioners. The report was published on March 23, 2004.
According to the report, Rapporteur Theo van Boven wrote to the Chinese
government at least six times to appeal about specific cases of torture in 2003.
In a letter dated June 4, 2003 he informed the Chinese government he was
aware that a Mr. Xiao "was reportedly subjected to the so-called "water
dungeon"... locking a naked person into a small iron cage with spikes on all
sides. The cage is then lowered into filthy water up to the victim's chest or
neck in a completely dark room. The victim may be locked in the cage for days or
even weeks, and urine and feces are excreted into the water."
The report is not comprehensive and many cases of torture may not be included
in it, said a representative from the rapporteur's office. These cases include
severe beatings, whippings with poisonous hemp, hanging by the wrists,
deprivation of food and sleep, dousing with extremely cold or hot water,
shocking sensitive body parts with high-voltage electric batons, and sodomizing
with sticks.
Falun Gong Practitioners' Torture Exhibition During G8 Summit Attracts Wide
Attention from All Circles
While the Chinese government may block the UN rapporteur from going to China
to investigate, it cannot hinder people from exposing the torture methods used
by the Jiang regime in its brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
From June 8 to June 10, Falun Gong practitioners' torture exhibition
attracted much attention during the 30th G8 annual summit, which was
held at Sea Island, Georgia. More than 100 Falun Gong practitioners participated
in the exhibition and other appeal activities, and more than 30 media
interviewed practitioners involved in the torture exhibition.
The Mayor of Brunswick viewed the torture exhibition twice on June 8. He also
went on air on a talk show at a local radio station to introduce the exhibition
to the citizens of Brunswick. After listening to practitioners' explanation of
the torture exhibition, Brunswick's police chief immediately called her police
officers and recommended that they come to view the exhibition. Many city
government officials, police officers, and even family members of police
officers came to view exhibition and they all expressed that they were shocked
by the brutality. A police officer told practitioners the Brunswick police will
support Falun Gong practitioners wholeheartedly and they would write to the
Chinese police and ask their counterparts in China to stop this kind of
brutality.
A Savannah resident, an attorney, said, "Thank you, Falun Gong practitioners
for exposing the torture to Savannah residents. We are touched by this
exhibition."
Chinese version available at
http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/6/18/77375.html