Family Members of Victims in the South Africa Shooting Incident Meet with South African Embassy Officials in Australia

After the South Africa shooting incident took place, family members of the victims and representatives of Falun Gong practitioners held a discussion with officials of the South African Embassy in Australia. They also expressed to the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs their request of ensuring Australian citizens' safety in other countries. The South African Embassy said that they would try their best to arrest the criminals.

On the morning of July the 2nd 2004, seven people, including representatives of Falun Gong practitioners and victims' family members met with South African Ambassador Mr. Harold Hoyana and the First Secretary Ms. Rasheeda Adam in Canberra. They held a 30-minute discussion regarding the incident in which an Australian Falun Gong practitioner was shot by hired thugs in South Africa as well as the persecution experienced by Falun Gong practitioners in China and overseas.

Ms. Li Ying (first on the right-hand side), Liao Xiaoqian and her daughter Chuchu (fourth on the right-hand side) and South African Ambassador Mr. Harold Hoyana (second on the right-hand side) and the First Secretary Ms. Rasheeda Adam (third on the right-hand side) in group photo

Ms. Li Ying, wife of Mr. Li Qizhong, one of the victims in the South Africa incident, said that before her husband's trip to South Africa, he received a threatening phone call. Many signs indicated that this shooting incident was a hired murder attempt. First, these Australian Falun Gong practitioners had gone to South Africa for the first time and have no enemies in South Africa. Secondly, after the shooting, there was no robbery; instead, the attackers immediately fled away. Thirdly, the shooting incident prevented the planned lawsuit against Zeng Qinghong from being filed.

Officials from the South African Embassy expressed that they received the news release from Falun Dafa Information Centre before their discussion and had already reported it to their superiors. The South African police are investigating this case and they will try their best to find out the real criminals. The police categorised this case as "attempted murder". When the officials looked at the photos showing Mr. David Liang's injured and bleeding feet, they were all shocked and expressed that there was little doubt that this was an assassination attempt.

When mentioning Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful appeal, Ms. Rasheeda Adam said that there was also a period in South Africa during which there were no human rights. It also experienced democratic and peaceful movement in its history, after which human rights are now respected. Therefore, she deeply understood why Falun Gong practitioners would sacrifice their lives to seek the freedom of belief.

In the end, the two officials expressed that the South African police would try their best to arrest the criminals. As South African citizens, they hoped that all people would still love and visit South Africa.

Afterwards, family members of the victims, including Ms. Li Ying, Liao Xiaoqian and her daughter went to the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to report the plight of the nine Australian Falun Gong practitioners and their current situation. They also called the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to try their best to protect Australian citizens' safety when they travel to other countries.

Falun Gong practitioners said that after the South Africa shooting incident, many friends with connections to Mainland China are very worried about their safety, because they believe that the Chinese ruling party would do anything at any cost to control the people.