Taiwan: Seven Falun Gong Practitioners Will File Lawsuit against Jiang Zemin

Ten thousand people gather in front of the Office of the President to support the lawsuit

Seven Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners, including Lin Hsiao-Kai will file a lawsuit in a Taiwan High Court on November 17, 2003 accusing former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, former Chinese vice Primer Li Lanqing and member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Politburo with genocide.

This is the first criminal case among Chinese people in which civilians have charged the country's leaders. The lawsuit is based on a Taiwanese law for the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide stipulated in 1953. No one has filed a lawsuit based on this law previously. Due to the special relationship between Taiwan and Mainland China, how to investigate and try the case will draw significant attention from political and legal circles on both sides, once the Taiwan Court accepts the case.

To support the lawsuit, about ten thousands Falun Gong practitioners gathered in front of the Office of the President and held a conference on November 15. Representatives from the Legislative Committee and human rights organisations attended. At the conference, the Taiwan Falun Gong Association issued a statement for the Global Public Trial of Jiang Zemin and the lawsuit filed in Taiwan.

Lin Hsiao-Kai was illegally detained by the Chinese National Security Bureau when he visited friends in Shanghai in October. He was detained for 20 days. The Security Bureau threatened him not to expose the bureau's crime after he returned to Taiwan. However, Mr. Lin is not afraid and decided to file a lawsuit along with other Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners who were persecuted in China.

Citing a Taiwanese law for the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide stipulated in 1953, the seven people accuse Jiang. The main purpose of the law is to punish those trying to kill or eliminate all or parts of a nation, race, or political organisation.

The seven practitioners are all citizens, including one non-adult.

Wang Hsiu-Hua was illegally detained by Jiang's regime for 28 days. She was on a business trip to Shanghai and was arrested as soon as she arrived at Pudong Airport. She was abused, punished physically, intimidated and deprived sleep for 30 hours.

Chan Jun-Pei and her daughter went to China to visit her relatives and were detained and interrogated by police when they arrived at Hefei Airport, Anhui Province. They were detained for 3 days. Her young daughter was intimidated and suffered both physically and mentally.

Du Shi-Hsiong, Yang Yingsheng, and Lin Shan-Ben were illegally detained for four days in Beijing and abused, intimidated, and punished physically. Police also tried to force them to admit guilt.

Besides Taiwan, there are 12 countries where Falun Gong practitioners have filed lawsuits with similar charges against Jiang Zemin and his chief accomplices.