Radio Free Asia: The World Organisation for Human Rights Sues Xu Guangchun, Secretary of the Henan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party

On July 21, 2005, Xu Guangchun, Secretary of the Henan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party, was sued by the World Organisation for Human Rights when he visited San Francisco, CA. The lawsuit charged Xu with slandering Falun Gong and molding public opinion to persecute Falun Gong.

After being sued, Xu was not visible on scheduled occasions.

RFA reported on July 25 that human rights organisation pointed out that Xu Guangchun had committed serious crimes in the persecution of Falun Gong when he was Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department and concurrent Director of Broadcasting and TV Bureau, and Secretary of the Henan Provincial Committee of Communist Party.

The report stated that from July 20 to 25, Xu led a delegation of over 100 people to visit San Francisco for a "Henan Week" activity.

Last weekend, Xu and Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco signed an agreement in city hall. Outside the city hall, the World Organisation for Human Rights, USA held a press conference to announce the lawsuit in a California District Court filed by Morton Sklar, Executive Director of the organisation.

The petition stated that since Xu became Secretary of the Henan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party, 1140 Falun Gong practitioners in Henan were persecuted and so far there have been 95 documented deaths due to torture. When Xu was Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department and concurrent Director of Broadcasting and TV Bureau, he was responsible for slandering Falun Gong and molding public opinion to facilitate the persecution of Falun Gong.

The director of the World Organisation for Human Rights San Francisco recounted the severity of the persecution in Henan Province. He said that many practitioners were abused continuously and the victims in some cases were beaten or burned to death. These crimes were brutal. Based on U.S. criminal law, the U.S. judicial department is entitled to prosecute those committing the crime of torture outside the U.S. when they enter the country.

After the ceremony in San Francisco city hall was over, Xu realised that he had been sued and left in a hurry in the company of security personnel. Later at scheduled occasions, he did not attend.

Before the ceremony was held, as dozens of officials from the Henan delegation came to city hall by bus, Falun Gong practitioners stood beside the bus door and distributed fliers exposing the crimes of the Chinese Communist Party.