Radio Free Asia: Chen Zhili Sued by Falun Gong during Her Visit to Tanzania

(Clearwisdom.net) Former Chinese Minister of Education and current State Council member Chen Zhili was served with legal papers by Falun Gong practitioners during her visit to Tanzania. Chen Zhili was summoned to appear before the court. The following is a translation of RFA special correspondent CK's report on August 2.

On July 30, a group of international attorneys representing Falun Gong practitioners announced that a lawsuit was filed against Chen Zhili in the African country of Tanzania.

Falun Gong practitioner Duan Li from San Francisco is a member of a legal group composed of Falun Gong practitioners from various countries. Ms. Duan told this reporter: Falun Gong practitioners entrusted international human rights attorneys to file a lawsuit against former China's Minister of Education and current State Councilor Chen Zhili for torture and extra judicial killing. At the same time, she utilized the Chinese education system to indoctrinate teachers and students against Falun Gong. On July 19, we filed legal papers in the Capital of Tanzania.

After her state-visit to South Africa and Zimbabwe as China's State Councilor, Chen Zhili started her four-day visit to Tanzania on July 17. What was most remarkable was that before Chen Zhili left Tanzania, she was summoned by the court and she appeared before the court.

Ms. Duan Li said that Chen Zhili was the first (Chinese official) summoned to appear before the court in reference to the case and therefore she believed that this was really historically significant.

Between 1998 and 2002, Chen Zhili was China's Minister of Education. She is currently a State Councilor in charge of culture and education. The persecution of Falun Gong has been especially fierce and cruel in China's education system. The Massachusetts-based "World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" (WOIPFG) released its investigation report against Chen Zhili March this year.

During a telephone interview, the organization's spokesperson Mr. Wang Zhiyuan said that when Chen Zhili was the Education Minister, she launched a campaign throughout China's education system to suppress Falun Gong. For instance, when students take examinations to enter a higher school, the entrance exams included questions defaming Falun Gong. Students are forced to answer those questions against their will. If they don't, they lose their qualification to enter a higher school. According to available information, in just 2003, at least 435 Falun Gong practitioners from 210 China's colleges or universities were sent to labor camps or psychiatric hospitals. Over the past few years, 61 are known to have died as a result of the persecution. It is natural that Falun Gong practitioners filed a lawsuit against Chen Zhili.

Tanzania that accepted this case is located at east Africa. It implements an independent jurisdiction system of a democratic country. Before Chen Zhili, at least 10 Chinese government officials including former Chinese President Jiang Zemin were sued by Falun Gong practitioners in the U.S., Canada and some European countries.

The above is reported by special correspondent CK.

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