Interviews with Plaintiffs of the Lawsuit Against
Les Presses Chinoises
Even after Les Presses Chinoises was sued in 2002 and ordered to stop
its defamation, it continued to carry full-length articles from mainland China
that demonized Falun Gong. Then, two questions still exist; what kind of role
has Les Presses Chinoises played in defaming Falun Gong, and what harm
has it brought to the plaintiffs?
With these questions in mind, Clearwisdom's local reporters interviewed
5 plaintiffs from three families, including Yao Qing, Zhang Menghua, Wang Gongshi,
Mao Fengying, and Ye Tonggui.
Defamation Aggravated the Persecution of Falun Gong
Zhang Menghua, who has benefited in both mind and body from the practice of
Falun Gong, has deep feelings on this: “As a news media outlet, regardless if
it is in mainland China or overseas, it should report the facts objectively
so as to support the good and suppress the bad. This is a professional requirement
as well as social responsibility for a media. However, Les Presses Chinoises
has totally violated this.”
Zhang stated, “We all know that Jiang Zemin's persecution of Falun Gong
in Mainland China was entirely based on lies. For example, after Jiang's
regime faked the Tiananmen Self Immolation incident in January 2001, many people
in Chinese society from both the younger and older generations started to have
feelings of extreme anger and disgust towards Falun Gong. Since those people
were misled by these lies, they even agreed with the escalating persecution
of Falun Gong practitioners. In particular Les Presses Chinoises constantly
carried such lies from China media outlets like Xinhua, and through this vocalization
of Jiang's propaganda has harmed the belief and choice of those people
who want to practice– 'Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance'. Moreover
as such articles published in Les Presses Chinoises were then reported
inside Mainland China as supporting voices from overseas, this cemented in the
minds of the Chinese public the lies about Falun Gong.
Therefore, regardless in Canada or China, Les Presses Chinoises exerted
the same effects in slandering Falun Gong as Jiang's regime has done in
China with nationally controlled media.
Harming the Chinese people in both China and Overseas in Two Ways
Yao Qing, a Falun Gong practitioner in Toronto said, “As Jiang's regime
has constantly escalated its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners [in China],
it has also escalated the persecution of overseas practitioners. In the Toronto
Chinese consulate, there have been pictures slandering Falun Gong displayed
all the time. Everyday, many Chinese people visit the Consulate for issues related
to visa etc. While waiting in the line, they are forced to watch such defaming
propaganda.”
Yao Qing continued, “He Bing's articles in Les Presses Chinoises
caused very bad effects among overseas Chinese. Also, when I called my friends
in China, they said seeing Tianjian Daily carrying the slandering articles
by Catherine (He Bing's alias). Thus, it caused harmful consequences in
two ways: one was to stir up hatred [towards Falun Gong] in the overseas Chinese
community; the other was to, create an appearance in China that Canada was also
against Falun Gong. This can further be used to make excuses for persecution
in China.”
Hate Propaganda Can Cause Immeasurable Harm to Society in General
Mr. Bergman, the attorney who represents plaintiffs, once said, “Stirring
up hatred causes immeasurable harm to society. Most violent actions arise from
hatred. Hatred may cause discrimination, ostracism, and isolation, even violence.
The spiritual harm caused by stirring up hatred can be unexpected.”
Ms. Mao Fengying has practiced Falun Gong for 7 years. The practice of Falun
Gong not only helped her recover from a fatal illness, but also allowed her
to give birth to a healthy and lovely baby. Ms. Mao said, “The defamatory articles
in Les Presses Chinoises are not only attacking and harming me, but also
the general public in the world. Now, I am healthy and energetic, which is a
miracle that was brought to me by my practice of Falun Gong. I am now healthy
and have a beautiful complexion. However, Les Presses Chinoises lies,
saying 'All Falun Gong practitioners become healthy because of absorbing
essence from others.' This the most severe personal attack towards us.
Moreover, as such articles were spread to China and my family, they created
a great deal of misunderstandings in my family about my practice. As a member
of the society, and person who has benefited from the practice, I feel I must
sue the newspaper for the restoration of my good name”
Mr. Wang Gongshi said, “After reading the report in Les Presses Chinoises,
my family in China thought Falun Gong was also banned overseas as it is in China.
As a result, the fears in their heart increased. Now if I say more about my
life when talking with my family over the phone, they will feel very nervous.
For example, my elder sister and I used to be very close. However, after reading
the report in Les Presses Chinoises, her attitude to me became irrational
and irritable. After I clarified the facts to her over the phone one by one
in response to the reports, my sister said, 'What do you want? Do you want
to put me in the jail?' I was shocked. I know my sister is a good person.
However, her sub-consciousness told her that, if she accepted the propaganda
was lies, her conscience would force her to step forward and say something to
support justice. However, she was also afraid that by doing this she would bring
loss to her personal life. Thus, she would rather not believe that I am a good
person and that Falun Gong is good.”
Mr. Wang Gongshi said, “I think such defamatory propaganda of Les Presses
Chinoises as well as those in China are now distorting human nature. This
is very sad. Such harm has spread widely and gone very deep. It is way beyond
what words can describe.”
Mao Fengying's husband Ye Tonggui, a Ph.D. student, said, “As a Falun
Gong practitioner, when I chose to practice Falun Gong, I also chose a way of
life in the future. Due to the defaming reports in Les Presses Chinoises
that generated hatred, many people around me were misled. In the eyes of my
friends, I have become a liar. Such harms are often dramatic, and I have been
living a life with potential threats. Such harms are beyond imagination of everyone.”
“If in a society, some could use lies or judicial loopholes to attack others,
and not be punished, this would cause moral degeneration of the society. And
it is also against the foundation that maintains the social harmony.”
The Choice of Whether You Believe in Falun Gong or Not Cannot Become An Excuse
for Persecution
Regarding the Les Presses Chinoises case in Montreal, we interviewed
an expert in issues related to China. While they wanted to remain anonymous
at this moment, this expert says, “According to some reports, the lawyer representing
Les Presses Chinoises picked some points from the books of Falun Gong
to pose as questions in the court. This is as like an atheist arguing with a
religious person about the existence of God, and questioning him why the God
he believes in says this or that. This is not a rational and reasonable dialogue.
We also lack an environment and basis for such discussions.”
The expert continued on by saying, “In my understanding, Falun Gong is a spiritual
belief. With no intentions to force others to believe, it is simply stating
what it is about. It is solely a personal choice whether to believe or not.
On the other hand, not to believe or understand can never be an excuse for the
persecution. If, as is argued by Les Presses Chinoises, that because
they simply do not believe or not understand, one could start to use slanderous
words to defame another person, just like the Communist Party has done. This
would cause harm to many practitioners of different faiths. It is very inappropriate
to do it in this way.”
This expert also said, “The policy the Chinese authorities have used to handled
Falun Gong is just like that the one which Hitler used for his genocide of the
Jews. It is the same ideology–I am the authority, and I will destroy things
I do not like, no matter how many lives are involved.”
Posting date: 28/Nov/2003
Original article date: 26/Nov/2003
Category: World News
