–Political Leaders and Human Rights Groups also
Attend and Show Support
Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners will file a lawsuit in a Taiwan High Court
on November 17, 2003 accusing Jiang Zemin of committing the crime of genocide.
To express support for the lawsuit, about ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners
from various places in Taiwan gathered in front of the President's Office
on the morning of November 15 and held a Conference to Support Ending the Persecution
of Human Beings, Safeguarding Basic Human Rights and the Public Trial of Jiang
Zemin. A press conference was also held.
 |  |  |
| Gathering in front of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall in the morning | At 8:30 am, walking towards the President's Office | List of signatures collected in Taiwan for safeguarding human rights and ending the persecution |
 |  |  |
| Seven individual plaintiffs | Legislative Committee Member, Lin Cho-Shui of the Democratic Progressive Party | Legislative Committee Member, Sun Guo-Hua of the National Party (right) |
 |  |  |
| Taiwan Legislative Leader, Liao Ben-Yan (right) | Chairman of Taiwan Human Rights Association, Wei Qian-Feng | Director of China Human Rights Association, Wu Huilin |
Falun Gong practitioner Lin Hsiao-Kai,
who was detained in China recently for 20 days, and six other Taiwan Falun
Gong practitioners who were persecuted in China participated in the conference.
Members of the “Traveling Around Taiwan by Bicycle” team that was set up
for rescuing Lin Hsiao-Kai and for ending human rights violations and letting
Falun Gong practitioners return home also participated in the conference.
Representatives from each party in the Legislative Committee and representatives
of Taiwanese human rights organizations also attended the conference. They
gathered in front of the Office of the President to support the seven plaintiffs
who will file a lawsuit against Jiang Zemin, Li Lanqing (former Chinese
Vice Premier), and Luo Gan, member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese
Communist Party Politburo, who have committed crimes of genocide.
About ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners from at least 18 counties arrived
at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall beginning at 6 am. Many practitioner families
went there together. All practitioners wore yellow T-shirts on which the words
“Falun Dafa” in Chinese were printed. There was good order on the venue. At
the conference site, the cloth bearing the signatures of about 100,000 people
to support the activity was posted. Honored guests who participated in the conference
included Legislative Committee Member Lin Cho-Shui of the Democratic Progressive
Party, Legislative Committee Member Sun Guo-Hua of the National Party, Taiwan
Legislative Leader Liao Ben-Yan, Chairman of Taiwan Human Rights Association
Wei Qian-Feng, and Director of China Human Rights Association Wu Huilin.
Since Jiang's regime initiated the persecution against Falun Gong on July
20, 1999, four years have passed and countless cases of torture have occurred
in Mainland China. Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners were also affected and were
illegally detained, beaten, and interrogated with violence when they went to
the mainland for business and visiting relatives. A female Falun Gong practitioner
from Taipei said that she and other Falun Gong practitioners were illegally
detained in airports because of the Jiang regime's pressuring the Icelandic
and Hong Kong governments when they went to Iceland in 2002 and Hong Kong in
2003 to participate in peaceful gatherings. In Taiwan, those affected are not
just Falun Gong practitioners; even ordinary Taiwan citizens cannot get permits
to apply for Taiwan resident certificates if they have the same names as Falun
Gong practitioners.
A Falun Gong practitioner working in a commerce company said, “Since the persecution
of Falun Gong in China, Falun Gong practitioners worldwide hold continual peaceful
appeals, clarify the truth with various means and expose the Jiang regime's
lies. Unfortunately, the persecution has not reduced but escalated. Therefore,
we are adopting the lawsuit to bring Jiang to justice and stop the persecution
as soon as possible.”
A medical doctor named Shen, also a Falun Gong practitioner, said that he had
practiced Falun Gong for more than five years and he came to participate in
the activity to safeguard basic human rights. He said, “Human rights are a universal
good. Now communications and transportation are very advanced worldwide. The
whole world is like a free village. Under this situation, no country or area
with human rights violations and persecution should be allowed. Otherwise, the
whole world faces a possible danger.”
Doctor Shen said, “No matter how high one's position is, everyone is equal
before the law. Whoever commits crimes should be brought to justice.”
A freshman from Hualian Donghua University has practiced Falun Gong for two
years. He said, “A practice benefiting people in both mind and body should not
be suppressed in such a way. I have the obligation to support the activity as
a Taiwanese citizen and Falun Gong practitioner. Human rights are universal.
All people worldwide should stand up to support this activity based on safeguarding
human rights.”
Posting date: 17/Nov/2003
Original article date: 16/Nov/2003
Category: World News
