Hong Kong Falun Gong Practitioners Hold Peaceful Sit-ins to Support the Lawsuit Against Jiang

The lawsuit filed by Falun Gong practitioners against Jiang in a U.S. Federal District Court in Chicago, for the crimes of "genocide" and "anti-humanity" has entered into a critical period. Due to this, from last Sunday, June 22, after holding five-day peaceful sit-ins in Chater Garden to support the lawsuit, nearly 200 Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners continued their peaceful sit-in outside the Revenue Tower in Wan Chai, in hopes that people can see clearly Jiang's brutal suppression of innocent people. They also hoped through legal approach to put Jiang on trial so that he would be held accountable for his atrocities.

Jiang's persecution extends outside China

HK Falun Gong practitioners Ms. Huang expressed that she came to join sit-in because Jiang's brutal persecution of Falun Gong has extended outside China, the obvious example is that HK government irrationally accelerates the enactment of Article 23 legislation. Moreover, "Royalists" -- pro-China candidates take the majority of seats in the Legislative Council, have taken no notice of public opinions, and are forcefully implementing the Article 23 legislation. The proscription mechanism in Article 23 shows that Mainland China will extend its control into Hong Kong and undermine HK's independent judiciary and democratic political system. Another example of Jiang's extension of persecution overseas is the Chinese Consulate in the US hired people to beat Falun Gong practitioners that were peacefully appealing. A court of law eventually found those persons guilty.

Ms. Huang also expressed that Jiang's relentless repression of Falun Gong in China violates it' own constitution and legal procedures. For instance, practitioners are sent to forced labour camps and mental hospitals without legal procedures and practitioners were deprived of the right to defend themselves in court. Falun Gong practitioners around the world therefore hope to hold Jiang and perpetrators accountable for persecuting Falun Gong practitioners via judicial procedure in the US. Practitioners also hope that the people of the world will pay attention to the lawsuit, and that this will lead to an end to the brutal persecution in China.

Officials of ministry and provincial level are found guilty

Falun Gong practitioners recently took legal actions in U.S. courts to sue perpetrators for persecuting Falun Gong practitioners.

On June 20, 2003, a U.S. Magistrate Judge in San Francisco denied foreign sovereign immunity to a Beijing Party Secretary, and former Mayor of Beijing, Liu Qi as well as the Deputy Governor of Liaoning Province, Xia Deren. The judge also found them guilty of overseeing the torture of practitioners of Falun Gong. Through this verdict, Judge Chen made sure that sitting Chinese officials, no matter how high level they are, would be held accountable by law if they were involved in the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners.

At an earlier time, Zhao Zhifei, chief of police and second-in-command of "610 Office" was found guilty in a Southern District court of New York. In this first case in the U.S. against a Chinese official for persecuting Falun Gong, the judge awarded nominal damages to the plaintiffs, including the punitive and declaratory damages sought by plaintiffs.

The enactment of Article 23 legislation will damage the freedom of HK's

In addition, Ms. Huang pointed out that as the enactment of Article 23 approached, Falun Gong practitioners were concerned that it would damage Hong Kong's autonomy, and they had no idea if they would have the opportunity to hold peaceful appeals in Chater Garden and other places. As a result she was cherishing the current freedom to join the sit-in.

Ms. Huang revealed that she planned to participate in the "July 1st Parade," and she would also ask other practitioners to participate, as Article 23 affects not only this generation of HK, but also later generations. Every Hong Kong citizen should pay attention to this.

People who oppose the legislation thought that even if they stood up, they would be unable to stop it. Ms. Huang, however, thought that a voice represents a complaint. At present, many people have questioned Tung government's policy, and people's expectation of him becomes lower and lower. Moreover, the Security Bureau disregards public opinions on Article 23. She continued, "If I still keep silent, it equates to me accepting this, so as a Hong Kong citizen, I hope other citizens will take to the street that day and let their voices be heard."

Whether to proceed with a lawsuit against Jiang will be decided by the end of the month

Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners held peaceful sit-ins in Chater Garden from Last Monday to Friday all day. As there were more practitioners' participating at the weekend, they moved to the Revenue Tower to continue expressing their support for the lawsuit against Jiang. The activity was held from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. After that, they returned to Chater Garden to continue their two-hour sit-in per day, until June 24.

When the lawsuit against Jiang and activities for bringing to justice globally are taking place around the world, it is said that the Chinese government through diplomatic means are trying to use "sovereign immunity" to stop the lawsuit. By the end of June, US Federal District judge of Illinois in Chicago will decide if he will accept and hear the case.