Suspect Who Assaulted Falun Gong Practitioners in front of the Chicago Chinese Consulate Apprehended and Admits Guilt in Court

On November 13 2002, Zheng Jiming, who assaulted a Falun Gong practitioner on September 7 2001 in front of the Chicago Chinese Consulate, admitted his guilt in the Circuit Court of Cook County in Chicago. The state prosecutor stated that Zheng Jiming and his accomplice assaulted and battered Falun Gong practitioners, and Zheng admitted his guilt. It is reported that Weng Yujun, who allegedly acted in collusion with Zheng to beat up a practitioner, was also arrested in the early morning on November 5 in Chicago's Chinatown. His case will soon be tried in court.

September 7, 2001. Zheng Jiming (right) rushing towards practitioner Fang Lin, Weng Yujun (left, in the car) pushing the car door open to get out.	September 9, 2001. Ms. Lu Feng, one of the victims, speaking at a press conference.
August 27 2002 - Zheng Jiming covers his face to avoid being photographed on his way to court.

A year ago, this incident caused a sensation in the local area and a number of Chinese and English media covered it extensively. At the beginning of September 2001, Chicago Falun Gong practitioners started a peaceful 10-day relay hunger strike appeal in front of the Chicago Chinese Consulate to protest the Jiang regime's murdering of female Falun Gong practitioners. At around 4:40 pm on September 7, three men driving a new black sports utility vehicle stopped in front of the Chinese Consulate. They got in and out of the car a few times and verbally abused the Falun Gong practitioners who were on hunger strike. Seeing this, Ms. Lu Feng, one of the practitioners on hunger strike, wanted to clarify the facts of the persecution to them. She walked over to their car, handed truth-clarifying materials to them and said, "I would like to give you some materials describing the persecution of Falun Gong. So many Chinese people were tortured to death simply because they practised Falun Gong. You are also Chinese, doesn't this matter to you?" The three men shouted abuse at her at once, "Go back to China and die!" "I'll beat you! Don't you believe me?" One of the three men, Zheng Jiming, began to expose himself to Ms. Lu. Mr. Fang Lin, who was on the other side of the street, took out his camera to photograph the whole episode. Zheng Jiming and Weng Yujun jumped out of their vehicle and rushed towards Fang Lin. They beat Fang Lin about the head and body, causing him to feel dizzy, have trouble breathing, and vomit. The two men grabbed Mr. Fang's camera and threw it to the ground, exposing part of the film. The two men then rushed back to their car and left the scene. Before they left, seeing that Lu Feng was recording the license plate number of their car, Zheng Jiming threatened her, "If you report us, I will kill you!" Two minutes later, policemen arrived at the scene. Fang Lin had multiple injuries and bruises and was sent to casualty. Ms. Lu Feng said that after this event she received a number of harassing phone calls day and night.

Although these two men have been apprehended, some more questions have arisen:

1. Falun Gong practitioners hold activities at many places in Chicago, why did the incidents occur in front of the Chinese Consulate?

2. From what these men said to the Falun Gong practitioners, this was not a random act by some common thugs. They specifically targeted those Falun Gong practitioners on hunger strike. Two of them went out to assault practitioners, while the other one stayed in the car. This was clearly a pre-meditated act. Who was behind this?

3. Suspect Weng Yujun stayed at the office of the former "Chen Pao" (a Chinese newspaper) and "Chinese Star TV station" until the early hours of the morning before he was arrested. This office is where the Association of Chinese People in the Greater Chicago Area is located. The local Chinese know "Chen Pao" as a miniature version of the Chinese state-run "People's Daily." The newspaper constantly attacks Falun Gong and anything else that is not in line with the Chinese regime's rhetoric. The Association of Chinese People in the Greater Chicago Area is actually a small circle of people affiliated with the Chinese Consulate. The Chinese Consulate had held a number of so-called "exposing and denouncing Falun Gong" meetings in this association's name. The officers of the Chinese Consulate often show up here. Why did the thugs who beat up Falun Gong practitioners end up staying at this location?

4. It is reported that Zheng Jiming obtained his permanent resident status in the US through political asylum, and committing a crime will affect his immigration status. Then what made him take the risk to commit the crime? The people who seek political asylum are those who would suffer persecution if they go back their country. Why would these people act as the Jiang regime's hatchet men?

In China, the Jiang regime can use the police to carry out the persecution of Falun Gong. It is not so convenient to do so overseas so instead they employ thugs. It is really a shame that China has fallen so low under Jiang's dictatorship. We wonder if they had thought about this, that they are going against a group of people following Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They are a group of cultivators who are willing to give up everything to safeguard the truth. One can only regret his own actions for assailing such good people.

Let this trial be a warning to Jiang's hatchet men: persecuting kind people is only hurting yourself. Please change your ways before it is too late.