LONDON [EFGIC] – In a recent court filing for a class-action lawsuit against Zhao Zhizhen - the director of a Chinese television station - the defendant claims free speech laws in the U.S. should protect him. Zhao’s defence, however, is not supported by the facts and diverts attention away from the central issues of the lawsuit – torture and genocide.
Filed last summer in Connecticut, the lawsuit charged Zhao with aiding and abetting, co-perpetrating and inciting a campaign of torture and genocide against people who practise Falun Gong. (News)
According to the New York Times, in a December 30th 2004 filing with the Federal District Court in New Haven, the defendant claims to be an “independent and objective journalist” who has “tremendous autonomy [in China]…just as Western journalists do.”
This claim is not true.
Communist Leaders Usurp Most Institutions in Chinese Society
Virtually every institution of modern-day Chinese society, from media organizations to the educational system to even the medical field, have been – particularly concerning matters deemed “important” by Chinese Communist leaders – usurped by the Chinese Communist Party, transforming them into organs of the state, which are then utilized to carry out specific initiatives ordered by China’s Communist leaders.
The persecution of Falun Gong in China is a prime example.
When Jiang Zemin, China's top leader in 1999, ordered the persecution of Falun Gong, the order was issued as a three-part directive: 1) Destroy their reputations; 2) Bankrupt them financially; and 3) Destroy them physically.
In response, virtually every institution in society was mobilized to carry out the directive. The media, which is entirely state-run, ran programmes, in some cases, 24-hours a day, vilifying Falun Gong. During the time span of a single month, for example, the People's Daily published 347 articles attacking Falun Gong, many of which were not merely anti-Falun Gong “opinions” but fabricated stories, casting Falun Gong as murderers and “rats” of society, deserving of punishment in the form of arrests, interrogation, torture and if necessary, extra-judicial killing.
The media in China, therefore, carries out a very specific role in the overall campaign to “eradicate Falun Gong.” The aim is to bend public opinion against the practice to such an extent as to galvanize private citizens to aid the security forces in the illegal arrest, detention, interrogation and torture of persons who refuse to relinquish their deeply held spiritual faith in the principles of Falun Gong.
The Chinese Communist Party's Gestapo for Falun Gong
In June of 1999, Jiang established the 610 Office, an extra-judicial, Gestapo-like agency charged with designing and implementing the “eradication” of Falun Gong in China. To date, of the more than 38,000 documented cases of torture or severe abuse, and the more than 1,200 known deaths from torture and mistreatment, a majority have occurred at the hands of 610 Office officials or those working under their direction throughout China.
The 610 Office was organized, from the beginning, to work in tandem with the Propaganda Department. Liu Yunshan, the director of the Propaganda Department was appointed to run the 610 Office, and Li Dongsheng, the deputy director of the Central Chinese Television Station was appointed deputy director of the 610 Office.
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The collaborative roles of the propaganda campaign on the one hand and the unlawful arrests, detentions and torture on the other were reflected well in “orders from Beijing to set up ‘anti-cult task forces’ in further escalation of its already intensive crackdown on Falun Gong,” under the auspices of the “two central task forces to oversee the…overall nationwide crackdown, the Office of Propaganda and the Falun Gong Control Office.” (Hong Kong Globe & Mail, February 16, 2001)
Especially significant, as noted in the Complaint filed against Mr. Zhao is the period between late November of 2000 and early April of 2001, when as reported by the August 2001 Washington Post article entitled, “Torture is Breaking Falun Gong” a more intense propaganda campaign was instituted in conjunction with the more widespread use of compulsory brainwashing, via torture and an increased used of police brutality to punish and intimidate practitioners who refuse to renounce their beliefs.
The Post article quoted a Chinese government advisor saying, “Pure violence doesn't work. Just [compulsory] ‘studying’ doesn't work either. And none of it would be working if the propaganda hadn't started to change the way the general public thinks. You need all three. That's what they've [Chinese officials] figured out.”
Furthermore, the speech displayed on the CACA website (which the defendant founded and runs), as is the case with media throughout China, does not permit reasoned reflection and open discussion about the practice of Falun Gong. The website is replete with imperatives like: "We should treat Falun Gong the same as terrorists to make them the cross-street rats [meaning everyone will want to beat them]." "The major targets of the terrorists and the cults are the common people. Shoot them once confirmed." "We should attack Falun Gong the same way the U.S. attacks terrorism. Eradicate humanity's malignant tumour thoroughly."
Torture and Genocide, Not Libel or Slander
The media Zhao oversaw in China was not the voice of an individual or institution, but rather, an organ of the Chinese Communist Party utilized to carry out the nationwide campaign to “eradicate Falun Gong.” Thus, in essence, the lawsuit against Zhao is not to charge libel, slander, or challenge the right of an individual or institution to free speech, but rather, to bring to justice those who knowingly and willingly aid and abed in the systematic torture and killings of Falun Gong practitioners.
We trust the U.S. Court will clearly distinguish the difference and uphold justice in this important case.
NEWS – Jan. 17, 2005
European Falun Gong Information Centre, More contacts. www.clearharmony.net
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.” Practised in over 60 countries world-wide, Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practising Falun Gong in China, China’s then-Communist leader, Jiang Zemin, outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report). Since that time, Jiang’s regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practise it. The European Falun Gong Information Centre has verified details of 1288 deaths (reports) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. In October 2001, however, Government officials inside China reported that the actual death toll was well over 1,600. Expert sources now estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labour camps, typically without trial.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE EUROPEAN FALUN GONG INFORMATION CENTRE – Peter Jauhal + 44 (0) 7739 172 452, Nicolas Schols +32 47 98 75 734
More contacts. www.clearharmony.net Email: [email protected]
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