On June 5 2003, as the first anniversary for this unlawful refusal of entrance was approaching, the Icelandic Data Protection Authority announced a formal decision:
“It is unlawful that the Icelandic Ministry of Justice provided the related information about Falun Gong practitioners to Iceland Air, also to Icelandic embassies in the USA, Norway, Denmark, UK and France, so as to hinder Falun Gong practitioners from entering this country.”
To further rectify the Icelandic government’s erroneous decision under the pressure of Jiang’s rogue regime, the Falun Gong-Iceland Dialogue Committee submitted a petition to the Ombudsman of the Arbitration Committee of the Icelandic Parliament. A press conference was also held in front of the Ministry of Justice, calling on the Icelandic government to respect the principles of law and correct their mistakes. TV stations and radio stations in Iceland, as well as the most popular newspaper in Reykjavik “The Morgunbladid Daily”, all dispatched their reporters to provide coverage of this event.
The Swedish parliament was the first country to establish an “Ombudsman”, which means “Representative of the Citizens”. The Organisation of Justice Ombudsman in the Swedish parliament was established in 1809. This organisation is to protect citizens’ rights, and to oversee any abuses of power, neglecting of duties, or unfair decisions on the part of the government. The counterpart in the Icelandic Parliament was set up in 1995. Financially supported by the Icelandic government, the Icelandic Ombudsman supervises the execution of political powers independently, and provides free services to the government.
On June 12, a report with photos appeared in “The Morgunbladid Daily” newspaper. Mr. Peder Giertsen, a representative of the Falun Gong-Iceland Dialogue Committee from Norway, Mr. Ragnar Adalsteinsson, a famous human rights lawyer from Iceland, and Dr. Shao Li, a lecturer from England’s University of Nottingham held a joint press conference. On the day of the first anniversary that Falun Gong practitioners were banned from entering Iceland, they announced that the Falun Gong-Iceland Dialogue Committee had submitted a petition to the Icelandic Ombudsman Arbitrary Committee.
The following is a press release for the conference:-.
June 11 2003
Reykjavik
It has been a year since the Icelandic government unlawfully barred Falun Gong practitioners from entering the country. This day last year is the darkest day in the history of Icelandic freedom and democracy. It is very unfortunate that the illegitimate entry-banning should have occurred. What makes it even more regretful is that the Icelandic Government has not corrected this error during the past year. Falun Gong practitioners have negotiated with the Icelandic Government several times, hoping that the Icelandic Government would pay respect to the legal principles and rectify the error.
No matter what has happened, history will never forget.
History will not forget the enthusiastic, compassionate support that many Icelandic people provided to Falun Gong practitioners when the illegal ban was issued by the Icelandic Government. History will not forget that many Icelandic people apologised to Falun Gong practitioners who were hurt by the Icelandic Government’s erroneous decision. History will not forget a man’s courage to admit and correct the mistake he has made. As has been the case in the past, Falun Gong practitioners were looking forward to seeing the Icelandic Government’s courage in facing and rectifying the blunder it has committed so that justice and the principles of law can be protected.
Today, the Falun Gong-Iceland Dialogue Committee submitted a petition to the Ombudsman Arbitration Committee of the Icelandic Parliament, requesting a ruling on the Icelandic Government’s ban against the entry of Falun Gong practitioners during the state visit of the former Chinese president, Jiang Zemin, in 2002.
Up to today, there are at least 231 Falun Gong practitioners who have been confirmed to be affected by the erroneous decision of the Icelandic Government. Among them, 153 persons were denied check-in, more than 75 persons were detained in Reykjavik airport, and 3 persons were unreasonably deported by the Icelandic Government. These Falun Gong practitioners were from more than 10 different countries. They were unfairly treated at 11 international airports in the USA, UK, Germany, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Iceland.
Relying on a “blacklist” of Falun Gong practitioners, the Icelandic Government prohibited the practitioners from boarding their planes, or rejected their entry applications after they arrived in Iceland. Along with this blacklist, the Icelandic Ministry of Justice also issued a letter, which contained false statements about Falun Gong practitioners. The letter also quoted words used by the Chinese Government to slander and instigate hatred against Falun Gong practitioners during the past four years, in order to implement a brutal, inhuman persecution.
In spite of cruel persecution and vicious slander by the Jiang regime in China, Falun Gong continues to be widely welcomed around the world because it promotes the principles of “Truthfulness- Compassion- Forbearance”. Practitioners’ sincerity is so steadfast that their peacefulness, law-abiding, and unyielding courage in pursuing truth have carried them through this relentless persecution. Their behaviour has manifested the brilliance of “Truthfulness- Compassion- Forbearance”.
One year ago, there had been 447 Falun Gong practitioners tortured to death in China. Up to now, the confirmed death toll of this persecution has increased to 720. According to internal information from the Chinese Government, more than 1600 Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted to death. Every day in China, millions of Falun Gong practitioners are suffering from inhuman torture in detention centres and labour camps. What we have to emphasise is that Jiang Zemin, who was invited to Iceland for a state visit by the Icelandic Government, is the primary instigator of this ruthless maltreatment against the freedom of belief. This persecution has aroused condemnations from governments, non-governmental organisations and individuals all over the world.
To make more people realise the facts of the persecution, and call on more people to stand up for morality and justice, Falun Gong practitioners sacrificed their own time to make peaceful petitions in Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland and Estonia at their own expense when Jiang Zemin visited these countries. Practitioners did this not for their own interest, but to help rescue the Falun Gong practitioners whose lives are endangered by brutal torture, and to provide an opportunity for the people in these countries to understand “Truthfulness- Compassion- Forbearance”, the principles of life at a higher level.
In sharp contrast to the dignified actions of Falun Gong practitioners, the Icelandic Government unfortunately chose to help Jiang’s regime in suppressing the just voice of the practitioners. The Icelandic Government, yielding under pressure imposed by a foreign dictatorial regime and the suppression of the freedom of its own citizens, has set a dangerous precedent to democratic countries in the west. It also had a very bad effect on Iceland’s reputation in the international community.
In October 2002, a lawsuit was launched against Jiang Zemin in the US District Court of Chicago for genocide, torture and anti-human behaviour. In a noticeable place of the indictment, the human rights violations of the Icelandic Government against Falun Gong practitioners during Jiang’s visit to Iceland last June were also mentioned. Meanwhile, many other lawsuits against Jiang Zemin for the crimes of genocide, torture and anti-humanity will be initiated under the coordination of a Switzerland-based international organisation "Track Impunity Always".
In one’s lifetime, he/she always has to be responsible for what he/she does no matter whether he/she is a citizen or a president. It should not be long before people will realise the crimes that Jiang Zemin, guest of the Icelandic Government, has committed against Falun Gong practitioners. There will certainly be a day when the persecution of Falun Gong will end. When that day comes, every person and every government will be faced with the examination of conscience and morality, just like that which occurred as the holocaust of the Jewish people was put to an end after World War II. Today, we are facing an historic moment. While the bloody and inhuman persecution of Falun Gong by the Jiang regime in China continues, all of us should ask ourselves “what should we do to help the innocent Falun Gong practitioners?”
It is certainly worth mentioning that the Mexican government also received a similar blacklist of Falun Gong practitioners and slanderous materials from Jiang’s group during the APEC conference in Mexico City last October. Although it is a country that is relatively under-developed, the Mexican government granted entry to Falun Gong practitioners, and gave permission for practitioners’ peaceful appeals.
Since the Icelandic Government has been trying to use what happened in Germany as an excuse to defend its own unfair treatment of Falun Gong practitioners, we would like to clarify what truly happened during Jiang Zemin’s visit to Germany in April 2002. In his declaration, Germany’s Minister of National Affairs Administration stated, “We confirm that all the activities of Falun Gong practitioners during Jiang Zemin’s visit to Germany were peaceful, and have not brought about any interference to society. In addition, the Commissioner of the Berlin Police Bureau and the Bureau of Public Affairs Administration would like to deliver their sincere apologies to Falun Gong practitioners for the undue actions they took in October 2002, such as the prohibition against the access to certain areas, and the reinforcement of body searches, etc.
On the same day one year later, the world is focusing their eyes on the Icelandic Government again. We sincerely hope that the Icelandic Government can rectify the mistakes it has made in the past in the interest of justice. This is also a test to examine whether the Icelandic government can truly uphold social justice.
After receiving the formal decision issued by the Icelandic Data Protection Authority, this Dialogue Committee believes that the Icelandic Government can help to restore its reputation and safeguard its sovereignty if it can take formal and public actions to rectify the mistakes it made in the past. This will also be helpful in eliminating the stains on the Icelandic history caused by the erroneous decision in June 2002.
For more information, please contact the following members of the Falun Gong-Iceland Dialogue Committee:
Europe: Peder Giertsen 0047-930-87-48
Canada: Xun Li (Shawn) +1-613-852-7494
USA: John Nania +1-612-237-3232
Translated from Chinese at http://yuanming.net/articles/200306/21363.html
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