FDI: Thai Police Taking Orders from Chinese Embassy?
NEW YORK (FDI) -- Thai
police manhandled Falun Gong protesters outside the Bangkok Chinese Embassy on
December 10, International Human Rights Day. After being seen going in and out
of the Chinese Embassy, dozens of Thai policemen crossed the street and roughly
searched Falun Gong practitioners quietly protesting the six-year persecution of
their practice in China. The police dragged some of them and took away their
banners. One officer stated that he did not want to break up their protest but
was told to do so by the Chinese Embassy.
On December 14, Thai
police told the protesting Falun Gong practitioners that if they returned to the
Embassy to protest the following day, they would be arrested.
In a separate incident on
December 14, in the Thai beach town of Pattaya, Thai police detained three Falun
Gong practitioners who were distributing leaflets exposing the crimes of the
Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Among those detained was Mr. Zhang Mengye, a
former classmate of CCP leader Hu Jintao, who is currently seeking asylum in
Thailand after being tortured in Chinese detention.
The demonstrators say they
have been regularly distributing flyers at that location for the past six
months. Now, however, there appear to be new orders.
"The Chinese Communist
government has been bullying nations around the world to carry out its
persecutory policies," says Falun Dafa Information Center (FDI) spokesperson
Levi Browde. "And they especially target anyone who reveals the details of how
they torture and murder to maintain power, something we have been exposing
peacefully for the past six years."
"We respectfully urge the
Thai government to reconsider its position, maintain its sovereignty, and not
follow the Communist Party's illegal demands that violate human rights." These incidents are the
most recent of a series of attempts by the CCP to silence Falun Gong around the
world. Last week, when CCP Premier Wen Jiabao visited the Czech Republic, a
group of Chinese tried to bribe the Falun Gong practitioners who were protesting
opposite the Prague Chinese Embassy. When the practitioners refused the $1,500,
and with Wen's car fast approaching, the group surrounded the practitioners and
tore down their banner.
Similar incidents have
happened in several other countries including Burma, France, Mexico, Germany,
and Russia (news). In a separate incident,
reports from Argentina on December 14 indicated that a group of Chinese thugs
believed to have ties with the Chinese Embassy assaulted Falun Gong
practitioners who were publicly protesting in Argentina, where senior Chinese
official Luo Gan is visiting. Luo was sued for genocide by Falun Gong plaintiffs
the previous day.
Some of these incidents,
which have been documented with local police, have involved beating and
strangling.
"What scares the CCP most
is exposure of their suppression and brutalization of the Chinese people,"
Browde says. "The persecution of peaceful people who meditate is probably the
clearest illustration of the Communist Party's ruthlessness, and so they go to
extreme measures to prevent word from getting out."
To date, the deaths of
2,791 individuals who practice Falun Gong as a result of the CCP's six-year
persecution of the practice have been confirmed. The Falun Gong Human Rights
Working Group (link) has
details of over 44,000 cases of torture. China's widespread use of torture was
confirmed earlier this month by U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred
Nowak. Nowak acknowledged being repeatedly blocked from trying to investigate
the torture of Falun Gong adherents.
"We're at a critical time
right now," explains Browde. "Millions of Chinese are making public statements
to renounce the Party, protests are raging in the countryside, prominent lawyers
are openly challenging the judicial system, epidemic and toxic pollution
cover-ups are being exposed, all this is happening at the same time. Put it
together, and you can see why the government is nervous."
"It also becomes clear why
they have so much to hide and feel they need to silence even a small protest in
Bangkok."
In addition to the ongoing
protests outside Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide, protests outside
Thai embassies are under way in many of the world's major cities to urge the
Thai government not to bow to Chinese government pressure.
# # #
NEWS - Dec. 14, 2005 Falun Dafa Information Center,
www.faluninfo.net
Background Falun Gong, also known as
Falun Dafa (about), is
a practice of the Buddha School, consisting of meditation and exercises, with
teachings that emphasize living by three principles: truthfulness, compassion,
and tolerance. Originating in China, Falun Gong is now practiced in over
70 countries. With Chinese government estimates of
100 million practicing Falun Gong in China, in July 1999 the Chinese
Communist Party-state launched a nationwide, violent campaign to "eradicate" the
practice. The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 2,780
deaths and over 44,000 cases of torture (reports
/
sources).
Millions have been detained or sent to forced labor camps.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER- Contacts: Gail Rachlin 917-757-9780, Levi
Browde 646-415-0998, Erping Zhang 646-533-6147, or Christina Chai 917-386-5068.
Email: contact@faluninfo.net,
Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/
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