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Human Rights Lawyer: Chinese Consul Should be Expelled As a "Persona Non Grata" (Photo)
By Ying Xin
(Clearwisdom.net) Well-known Canadian human rights lawyer David Matas
said on May 30 that Chinese Consul Peng Keyu, who orchestrated the attack on
Falun Gong practitioners in New York, should be expelled from the United States
as a "persona non grata." David Matas taking part in the "Forum on Human Rights in
China" held in the Canadian Parliament on May 7, 2008 Recently in Flushing, New York, violent mobs attacked Falun Gong
practitioners. On May 20, the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution
of Falun Gong (WOIPFG) released the records of a telephone interview in which
Chinese Consul Peng Keyu admitted that the Chinese Consulate orchestrated the
attack in Flushing. Canadian David Matas, a well-known human rights lawyer, said during an
interview, "My view is that the Chinese consular official who orchestrated
all this should be expelled from the United States. I consider his behavior to
be inconsistent with his status in the country. He should not be trying to shut
down free expression in the United States. He should certainly not be trying to
intimidate any citizens."It's not for me to say whether it's criminal or
not, but it really is inappropriate behavior. Condoleezza Rice, who is the
Secretary of State for the United States government, can expel this consular
official as a persona non grata on the basis on his behavior, and I think
she should do so." Mr. Matas said that violent assaults on Falun Gong practitioners have
occurred in other countries as well, for instance in Argentina. He said, "I
think if practitioners can identify individuals who are responsible, they could
press charges against the individuals or ask the prosecutors to investigate the
possibility of pressing charges. And the same with the consular official. I
think they could make a complaint to the police about the consular official and
see whether that justifies pressing charges." |