United States: Falun Gong Practitioners Continue Welcoming Wen Jiabao in Front of the White House and Calling for Bringing Jiang Zemin to Justice

On December 9, Wen Jiabao visited the White House, while Falun Gong practitioners gathered in the park across the street, continuing to welcome Wen Jiabao and to call for bringing Jiang Zemin to Justice.

Wen Jiabao's motorcade passes by several times during the day

Practitioners' banners

Practitioners in front of the Chinese Consulate in Washington DC

A lady who was arranged by the Chinese Consulate to welcome Wen Jiabao asked Mr. Chen Zhi, a Falun Gong practitioner from Atlanta, "Why don't you take other means, instead of holding banners reading 'Welcome Wen Jiabao to the U.S.,' 'Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice,' and 'Falun Dafa is good' at such an important occasion?" Mr. Chen replied, "Many people don't know the whole story. In 1997 and 1998, interference with Falun Gong practitioners in some places in China were already obvious. Many Falun Gong practitioners wrote to different levels of government to present the situation, but they received no response. They had to go to appeal to different governmental departments, but they still could not get the issue resolved. Finally, Falun Gong practitioners had to go to appeal to the highest appeals agency -- the State Department Appeals Office. Since the beginning of the persecution on July 20, 1999, the final appeals channel was also blocked."

Jiang Zemin called the Falun Gong practitioners' April 25th peaceful appeal in 1999 as a "siege," using it as an excuse to persecute Falun Gong. Since the beginning of the persecution on July 20, 1999, Falun Gong practitioners who appealed according to the law have been arrested, sentenced to prison, and even tortured to death. So far at least 827 Falun Gong practitioners have been tortured to death.

According to Mr. Chen, when he went back to Beijing to visit his family in July 2000, he learned that 40 Falun Gong practitioners were tortured to death. He thought that he should say a fair word for those fellow practitioners, so he wrote a letter and went to the State Department Appeals Office. He submitted the letter and was immediately called into a small room that was full of police officers. They began to interrogate him, verbally abused him, and didn't allow him to leave the room. Mr. Chen realized that the appeals office had been taken over by the police, and the appeals channel had been illegally blocked by Jiang's regime. Mr. Chen said, "We have such a freedom overseas, so it's natural that we want to speak out. Tapping into cable TV signals in China was a method that people resorted to in order to make the truth about Falun Gong known to the public when there was no way for people to speak out."

Regarding the Jiang regime's lies that Falun Gong is involved in politics, Mr. Chen said, "Those who suffer persecution and those who have been tortured to death used to practice Falun Gong with me. If your family members or friends were arrested, beaten, sentenced to prison, and even tortured to death, wouldn't you say a fair word for them? Can calling for redressing the grievance be counted as being involved in politics?"

A Falun Gong practitioner from Washington DC said that after the welcoming ceremony in the White House, he talked with some members from the Chinese delegation who came out of the White House. He found that they were no longer afraid or avoided talking about Falun Gong. Instead, they listened to him carefully and showed their understanding. They also accepted truth clarification materials.

Ms. Yan from Atlanta said that her purpose for coming here was very clear, that is, to oppose the persecution and expose Jiang's lies. She asked for a leave from her company to do so. Her Chinese colleagues who do not practice Falun Gong and her family members supported her actions and bid her a safe trip.

Ms. Ming Di from Washington DC said that about 20 young Westerners from South Africa met her on Pennsylvania Ave, and asked her what she was holding. When they learned that it was the banner reading "Falun Dafa is good," they helped her hold it up. Those young people said that they were interested in "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" that is taught by Falun Dafa, and they would go back and try to gain a further understanding.

During today's activity, Wen Jiabao's motorcade passed by the practitioners several times. The practitioners continued to hold up their banners: "Welcome Wen Jiabao to the U.S.," "Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice," and "Falun Dafa is good."

In the evening, when an American woman was waiting for her friend to have dinner, she came over to help us hold the banner that said, "Falun Dafa is good."

According to police officers on duty and people at the roadside, the Falun Gong practitioners' peacefulness left a deep impression on them.

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Lai from Washington DC said, "Falun Gong is a spiritual belief, and what it pursues is upgrading of morality and character. Falun Gong has no desire to establish some political power, nor will it be interested in politics and power struggles. Falun Gong practitioners' welcoming Wen Jiabao to the U.S. is an expression of our positive attitude towards him. At the same time, we continue to oppose the persecution and call for an end to it. As everyone knows, Jiang Zemin is the chief culprit of the persecution."

Mr. Dong from Atlanta said, "Jiang Zemin placed his personal will above the country to persecute Falun Gong and used lies to deceive the Chinese people. High-ranking officials outside Jiang's group were kept from learning the truth, so that many government officials do not learn the truth about Falun Gong. That's why I am here today." He expressed that it was important to expose Jiang's lies, which is good for China and the people.

A Falun Gong practitioner said that since Jiang launched the persecution of Falun Gong, they have been resisting the persecution, exposing the Jiang regime's evil acts, and investigating the specific cases of those who are directing and carrying out persecution. Falun Gong practitioners in the U.S. have filed a lawsuit against Jiang Zemin on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and torture. After lawsuits in the U.S., Spain and Belgium, Jiang Zemin was sued in Taiwan and Germany. On November 17, about ten thousand people held a sit-in to support the lawsuit against Jiang Zemin in Taiwan. Falun Gong practitioners expressed that they will investigate the crimes committed by Jiang's regime and its accomplices in persecuting Falun Gong all the way until the justice is served.

Tomorrow, Wen Jiabao will be in Boston, the next stop on his itinerary.