AN Australian wounded in a drive-by shooting in South Africa alleges he was the
target of gunmen hired by the Chinese government.
Sydney man David Liang, 41,
a follower of the religious group Falun Gong which is outlawed in China, is recovering
in a South African hospital from gunshot wounds to his feet.
Mr Liang was
among nine Australian-based Falun Gong members who entered South Africa on Monday
to protest during a visit there of Chinese Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and Commerce
Minister Bo Xilai about China’s human rights abuses.
Five of the protesters
became lost travelling to Pretoria from Johannesburg Airport and their car came
under fire from another vehicle.
Mr Liang, who was driving the car, accused
the Chinese officials of hiring hit men to kill the Falun Gong group. The shooting
has been major news in South Africa this week.
"We did not see them,
but we think that the vice-president and the minister have hired people to kill
us," he said from the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
"After
shooting at us, they did not rob us and simply sped away. We are sure the Chinese
government is involved."
The Chinese Embassy in Pretoria dismissed
the allegations as ridiculous.
An Australian Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade spokeswoman said yesterday the attack was believed to be a random shooting
but police were still investigating the incident.
A South African police
spokesman said: "I would advise the media that it is not fair for them to
take only one side of a story and say it was an attempted assassination. Our job
is to investigate what happened and only then will we be able to determine what
was the actual case."
A friend of Mr Liang and fellow Falun Gong practitioner
in Brisbane said yesterday that the evidence was pointing to a "premeditated
shooting".
"The driver (Mr Liang) was the only one in the car
wearing a Falun Gong jacket and he was being targeted," she said.
Posting
Date: 4/Jul/2004
Article Date: 3/Jul/2004
Category: Media Report
