Radio France Internationale: French Judicial Authorities Outraged by China’s Refusal to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong

On the evening of September 29th, RFI broadcast the following report in Mandarin to Asian countries.

Based on a report published by Agence France-Press on September 29th, a Falun Gong practitioner of French nationality and his lawyer held a press conference in Paris, informing the public that Chinese judicial authorities refused to collaborate with their French counterpart department to investigate legal complaints against Chinese leaders accused of persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. Regarding details of the complaints, Mr. Zhang Jianping, spokesperson for Falun Gong in Paris, gave RFI the following introduction:

Mr. Zhang: This afternoon, renowned French human rights attorney William Bourdon held a press conference in his office. Mr. William Bourdon stated that a French court had sent a Commission Rogatoire Internationale (CRI) to China’s counterpart department, requesting related Chinese authorities to cooperate in an investigation into the roles played by Li Lanqing, Chinese Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng, the “6-10 Office” and the Chinese police in the persecution of Falun Gong. Li Lanquing, former Deputy Prime Minister of China, was in charge of the “6-10 Office”, a Gestapo-like organisation of the CCP that specifically suppresses Falun Gong.

Nevertheless, the corresponding investigation was refused by the relevant Chinese authorities. The lawyer held a press conference to inform the public of this fact. Falun Gong practitioners filed a lawsuit against Li Lanqing during his visit to France in December 2002, while another lawsuit was filed against Sun Jiazheng in January 2004 when he participated in Les Annees Chine-France. Both of them were accused of being an accomplice to torture in the persecution of Falun Gong. Sun Jiazheng, President of the so-called Internet Ethics Committee, was charged with abusing Internet technology to defame Falun Gong and demonising Falun Gong in the areas of national culture. Meanwhile, Li Lanqing was head of the “6-10 Office”, a Gestapo-like organisation that is specifically set up at all levels of China’s governmental agencies to persecute Falun Gong. Both Sun and Li are primarily responsible for the persecution of Falun Gong.

French judicial authorities conducted subsequent investigations into the case, and then sent a CRI to China’s counterpart department, but China refused to cooperate. The lawyer came up with the following conclusion: Firstly, judicial cooperation is being developed between China and France, but China’s attitudes sarcastically contradict the mutual cooperation. Secondly, as far as economy is concerned, China and France have been co-operating well. But in the aspect of judicial cooperation, China definitely refused to co-operate, particularly when Falun Gong issues are concerned. Why? Normally, once two countries reached a judicial agreement, one country, if being asked by the other, will act in co-operation with the other. Sometimes the judicial cooperation may be practised slowly, but will be practised at any rate. However, this time China stated that it was absolutely impossible to conduct the investigation. According to the lawyer, French judicial authorities were outraged by China’s unco-operative attitude. He hoped that French judicial authorities could ask China to obey the judicial co-operation agreement signed by both China and France.