On the 14th of March, Dutch TV news show Netwerk reported on the Dutch-Chinese lady Mona Tang who, as a Falun Gong practitioner, was monitored continuously by the Chinese Secret Service. Recently she was arrested several times in Mainland China. Netwerk talked to Mona Tang, S. Verbeek of the Dutch Falun Gong Association and lawyer L. Zegveld, who filed a complaint in December against Jiang Zemin in the name of the association.
Tang went to China in February to study. She is known to the authorities as a Falun Gong practitioner and was therefore followed during her visit by the secret service and arrested twice. She told Netwerk that this kind of thing is typical of the way the government persecutes practitioners.
The broadcast revealed that Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual movement. Practitioners try to attain enlightenment via physical exercises and meditation. The broadcast went on to reveal that, since being introduced in 1992, Falun Gong’s popularity has grown gigantically. The movement counts 70 million practitioners in China alone, more than the Communist Party in that country. Therefore, Falun Gong is perceived as a threat by the people in power.
The programme went on to state that according to Amnesty International, hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners are imprisoned in China and more than 1,500 practitioners have already died in custody. The figures are, however, difficult to verify, because the persecution takes place in secret labour camps.
The programme concluded by stating that Falun Gong practitioners and supporters now urge Dutch authorities to take action. They want justice to prevail in international lawsuits against former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, for crimes of torture and genocide. Next week the Public Prosecutor will announce if the complaint will be accepted.
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