Korea: Falun Gong Practitioners From Korea Petition Congress to Establish a Law to Address Crimes of Genocide

On the afternoon of the 7th of September, 2004, Korean Falun Dafa practitioners presented a petition to Congress, calling for the establishment of a law related to the "Prevention of Genocide, and Associated Punishment."

Congressman Shin Hak-yong meets with Falun Gong practitioners	Handing in the petition letter

Petition received	Congressman Shin Hak-yong accepts an interview

In 1948, the United Nations passed the genocide treaty. Korea joined the treaty on the 14th of October, 1950 and the law came into effect in Korea on the 12th of December, 1951. According to the Constitution of Korea, international law has the same effect as domestic law. But Section 5 of the agreement stipulated that the member countries shall establish related laws to punish those who committed crimes of genocide.

On the 26th of December, 2003, the Korean Falun Dafa Association sued Jiang Zemin, former Chinese president and the main perpetrator of the persecution of Falun Gong, and Luo Gan, who is also responsible for the persecution, in the prosecutor's office of the central government. Because Korean law does not define the related domestic law about genocide, the lawsuit was postponed.

The Korean Falun Gong practitioners decide to launch a petition drive, requesting the establishment of laws addressing genocide. Falun Dafa practitioners who work in the legal system published an article in a professional law magazine, discussing the importance of establishing this law. After the article was published, the practitioners initiated a signature drive among attorneys and law professors.

Through the efforts of many practitioners, the petition received signatures of support from 11 law professors and 319 attorneys.

Korean practitioners hope that the petition will be processed as early as possible so that the relevant law can be established. Once the law is established, the lawsuit against Jiang for crimes of genocide can be accepted and tried in Korean court, to help end the persecution in China.