By Nicole Azzopardi

February 28, 2005

A SYDNEY woman allegedly imprisoned and tortured for eight months in China will be a test case for the Australian court system, the president of a Falun Gong group said today.

Bankstown artist Zhang Cuiying, 42, today launched civil action in the New South Wales Supreme Court against former Chinese president Jiang Zemin and his 610 Office or Chinese Falun Gong control office alleging they were responsible for her torture at a Chinese detention centre.

Ms Zhang said she was arrested in March 2000 for speaking out against Mr Jiang's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, and spent eight months in prison before the Australian Government intervened to have her freed.

According to documents filed with the court, Ms Zhang claims she was punched, slapped and kicked by Chinese police on one occasion, and hit with a hard object on another, causing her face to bleed.

On March 6, 2000, Ms Zhang alleged she was driven to the Shang Meilin Detention Centre in Shenzhen, where she "suffered inhuman treatment and torment" during two periods of detention.

Ms Zhang alleged that prison guards on one occasion during her detention stripped off her clothes in front of a closed circuit camera.

Ms Zhang appeared briefly in the Supreme Court today with the matter stood over to a date yet to be set.

Falun Dafa Association president John Deller said Ms Zhang's civil case was the first of its type in Australia and was an important step towards convicting the former head of the Chinese Communist Party.

"It's a real test for everyone involved," Mr Deller said.

"It's a test for the legal system, it's a test for Falun Gong practitioners who support this righteous action, it's a test for the Australian Government, it's a test for the Australian people.

"We realise it's rare, I don't think there has been such a prominent human rights abuser or prominent leader of a foreign power being sued in Australia before, but it's an extraordinary situation that is happening to Falun Gong practitioners ... we just have to work through the legal processes.

"(Jiang Zemin) is not a current head of state so he shouldn't have immunity on that basis."

The Australian case was one of 46 lawsuits filed against Mr Jiang in 26 countries, Mr Deller said said.

NSW Greens Senator Ian Cohen said he congratulated Ms Zhang's actions.

"I commend your efforts in the court ... I commend your patience and tolerance," he said.

"Torture, humiliation and domination by a rigid state should be something that should be left behind as we did in the last century."

Source http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,12398557%255E1702,00.html

Posting date: 3/1/2005
Original article date: 2/28/2005
Category: News & Media Reports

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