10 April 2006

Falun Dafa Association of New Zealand Inc.

Lawsuit against Jiang Zemin in Auckland High Court continues

A hearing is to be held in the Auckland High Court today to determine whether
the application for leave to serve the documents abroad can be served to three top Chinese communist party officials in China, including ex-president Jiang Zemin, after eleven plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against them for torture and crimes against humanity.

The eleven plaintiffs were imprisoned as Falun Gong practitioners and subjected to torture and brainwashing while returning to China to visit friends and family between 1999 and 2002. No other reason for their treatment was given, apart from what they believe in. The plaintiffs are New Zealand citizens and permanent residents or refugees of Chinese origin.

Following an initial decision prohibiting the Falun Gong practitioners from serving the statement of claim and notice of proceedings outside of New Zealand, as the hearing is related to issues of “enormous importance”, Justice John Priestley has granted a review of the decision before two High Court judges.

The three defendants played key roles in establishing and overseeing the cruel persecution of Falun Gong in China, which began in 1999 and continues today.
Jiang Zemin single handedly initiated the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999, fearing Falun Gong’s popularity presented a challenge to the Chinese Communist party’s (CCP) power.

In a CCP politburo meeting held in 1999, Jiang Zemin referred to Falun Gong’s popularity as a "political battle between our party and the opposition forces at home and abroad, to win over people and gain ideological territory." Hence, the CCP banned Falun Gong and began a brutal and bloody crackdown. Jiang directed the CCP to use violent means to suppress Falun Gong and defaming Falun Gong practitioners’ reputation, destroying them financially and physically.

The second defendant, Li Lanqing, is the ex vice-president of the CCP. He was also made head of the ‘610’ office, which was specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems. The 610 office used many inhumane methods of treatment on Falun Gong practitioners, including illegal detainment, brutal torture, and intensive brainwashing.

The third defendant, Luo Gan, was the deputy, and now head of the 610 office since Li Lanqing retired.

Persecution breeds concentration camps

The persecution of Falun Gong is still rampant in China, with more and more details of the inhuman tactics used are being exposed to the international community. Recently, the exposition of a concentration camp in Sujiatun, North-eastern China that harvests organs from live Falun Gong practitioners once again showed the world the wicked nature of the CCP. Inside sources say that there are 36 such concentration camps around China, and once people are sent there they never come out.

The lawsuit is calling on the international community to uphold justice, not be intimidated by officials from the CCP, and to help end atrocities committed against humanity because a evil regime like the CCP is a threat to people everywhere, not only China.

The plaintiffs and their lawyer Chris Lawrence will be available for interviews between 1pm to 2pm, and after 5pm today (Monday the 10th of April, 2006) at the Auckland High Court.

For more information please visit: www.faluninfo.net. or www.upholdjustice.org
or please contact:

ENDS

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