Assailants Linked to Chinese Government
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NEW YORK (FDI) – The Falun Dafa Information Center (FDI) has received
first-hand accounts of assault, battery, and theft perpetrated against Falun Gong
practitioners in Argentina. The assailants were described as ethnic Chinese, all
wearing suits, and driven by car and van to the scene of the crime; photo evidence
has confirmed these descriptions.
The incident took place Wednesday,
December 14, in broad daylight beginning at 10:30A.M. local time, outside Argentina's
National Congress in Buenos Aires. Several members of the Falun Gong group were
injured in the assault, including women. Banners and poster displays documenting
rights violations in China were wrestled from the Falun Gong and stolen by the
assailants.
The nature of the stolen items – human rights materials
– strongly suggest political motivations and backing.
The assault
is believed to have taken place in connection with the visit to Buenos Aires Wednesday
of top-ranking official, Luo Gan, who formerly headed China's secret Falun
Gong Control Office, the “6-10 Office.” Luo was served with a lawsuit in Argentina
on Tuesday, one day prior to the assault, for his involvement in genocide against
the Falun Gong in China. Victims and witnesses at the scene described the assault
as “highly-organized” and “terribly violent.” One man was seen being beaten to
the ground and then kicked repeatedly while down. Witnesses had their cameras
and film wrestled from their hands by several unidentified Chinese men. One member
of the Falun Gong group had a cell phone stolen.
FDI is additionally
concerned by multiple first-hand accounts that Argentinean police did little to
stop the assault. Police, though at the scene, were said to respond “very timidly,”
and didn't react even when they themselves received blows from the Chinese
attackers. One witness even told of police shielding an assailant after upset
bystanders tried to intervene. Police did not arrest or question any members of
the attacking group.
Witnesses have surmised that Argentinean
police knew about the attack in advance and were instructed, at promptings from
Chinese officials, not to intervene. The Chinese assailants were seen later in
the day outside the nearby Sheraton Hotel, where Luo Gan was reportedly present.
The assailants are believed to be part of the Chinese delegation or members of
the Chinese Embassy in Argentina.
Disturbing, Global Pattern
of Instigation
Wednesday's assault fits into a disturbing
pattern of violence, intimidation, and rights violations in connection with visits
by Chinese officials around the world. It appears that in each case Chinese authorities
have used economic and political clout to pressure host-country governments.
Past
incidents of a similar nature span a range of countries. In South Africa, June
of 2004, gunmen opened fire on a car of visiting Chinese Falun Gong adherents;
the group had just arrived in Johannesburg and planned to serve a Chinese official
with a lawsuit for human rights crimes. In Chicago the CCP has sent individuals
to physically assault Falun Gong demonstrators who sit outside the PRC consulate.
On another occasion there a car was firebombed in broad daylight.
In
January of 2004 French authorities arrested over 70 Falun Gong for “wearing the
color yellow” or clothing with the words “Falun Gong” while China's president
visited. Icelandic officials adopted a “blacklist,” provided by Chinese agents,
to bar entry of Falun Gong demonstrators during a June 2002 visit by China's
president–a decision the Icelandic Ombudsman recently ruled to be illegal. Myanmar
authorities, meanwhile, arrested a 71-year-old man and sentenced him to seven
years in prison for raising a banner reading “truth, compassion, tolerance” when
China's president visited the nation in December of 2002.
“The
free world needs to promptly, and decisively, say that this is wrong and must
stop,” said FDI spokesperson Mr. Erping Zhang. “China's regime should have
no forum anywhere for its draconian policies of control. Assaults like these should
never happen in China, much less free, democratic nations. If this is the cost
of China's economic friendship, it is a Faustian deal of the worst sort that
world leaders are cutting. It's a terrible sell out.”
FDI
is calling for Argentinian authorities to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation
into the incident, and further requesting the assistance of any and all international
agencies that might help to investigate the larger pattern of violence and human
rights abuses carried out by agents of the Chinese Communist Party against Falun
Gong practitioners throughout the world, including Burma, France, Mexico, Germany,
and Russia (news).
Posting
date: 17/Dec/2005
Original article date: 16/Dec/2005
Category: Media Release
