(Clearwisdom.net) On April 28, 2005, Falun Gong practitioners in Indonesia lodged a complaint with the country's independent human rights organization over an incident in which practitioners were removed by the police and unreasonably convicted for appealing outside the Chinese Embassy.

Indonesia Falun Gong practitioners peacefully appeal near the location of Asia-Africa Summit, calling for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China

A practitioner is forcibly carried away by police officers

Local ruffian mixes in with the crowd to instigate trouble

Local ruffian mixes in the crowd to instigate trouble

On April 23, 2005

On April 23 and April 25, 2005, Indonesia Falun Gong practitioners held two peaceful sit-in appeals. The first was in front of the building where the Asia-Africa Summit was being held, the second was in front of the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia where practitioners held banners reading "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" and "Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice," re-enacted torture methods to expose the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, and conducted group practice. Both activities were soon forcibly dispersed by the police, and twelve practitioners were detained for 24 hours to record their affidavits. At Jakarta's South District Subordinate Court, the twelve practitioners were originally charged with "Disturbing the Social Order" according to the basic law No. 510, but later the judge changed the charge according to the police to violating the 11^th local law from 1988, "Occupying the space in an area to grow trees" and convicted them. On the morning of April 28, when all defendants were absent, the judge gave the twelve Falun Gong practitioners a two month suspended sentence and six months of probation. That is to say, in the following six months, they cannot go to the same place to appeal. If they violate the ruling, they will be imprisoned for two months.

On April 25, 2005, police officers forcibly remove Falun Gong practitioners who are peacefully appealing

The police's abnormal behavior greatly surprised Falun Gong practitioners and also Mr. Kato, a lawyer from a legal assistance organization. Mr. Kato said that everyone, including himself, is very familiar with Falun Gong practitioners who have been peacefully appealing and protesting. At the hearing in the lower court, Mr. Kato proposed to the judge that Falun Gong practitioners peacefully appeal to put an end to the brutal persecution in China. Acts of exposing the persecution like this are good deeds. The constitution of Indonesia ensures that every citizen has the right of freedom of speech.

A practitioner holds display boards conveying the message "Stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China" and stands on the street opposite the Chinese Embassy to appeal

Falun Gong practitioners appeal in front of the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta to request the Chinese communist government stop the persecution of Falun Gong on April 25, 2005

Under the pressure from the Chinese Embassy, the police forcibly remove the banner and stop the legal appeal activity

The police forcibly carry practitioners to the police car

The police forcibly carry practitioners to a police car

The police forcibly remove a practitioner

When asked if they were rudely treated or threatened, several Falun Gong practitioners expressed that several days prior to the activity, they all received threatening phone calls or messages from someone claiming to be a member of a certain organization. The message was that Falun Gong practitioners were forbidden to hold an appeal activity during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Indonesia. Both phone calls and messages were highly intimidating. Defense counsel Mr. Kato believed that the police action was closely related to the Chinese president's visit to Indonesia. According to the media's report, the CCP promised the Indonesian government several hundred million US dollars worth of assistance.

In addition, regarding the two-month imprisonment verdict, Mr. Kato felt it did not conform to the original charge, and there were many legal loopholes. A representative of the country's independent human rights organization said Falun Gong practitioners could continue to appeal this unjust verdict. It was reported that the Falun Gong practitioners will file an appeal to the high court.