AFP: Falun Gong [practitioners] sue China for systematic criminal harassment in US

Thursday, 04-Apr-2002

WASHINGTON, April 4 (AFP) - Some 50 [practitioners] of the China-based Falun Gong movement have sued the Chinese government, claiming physical assault and harassment on US soil, the group's lawyer said Thursday.

The lawsuit filed here Wednesday must be translated into Mandarin Chinese before being served on Beijing, said lawyer Martin McMahon.

"We will be doing that sometime next week," he said.

"The Chinese government has launched a criminal enterprise in America. That's what the suit is all about."

Then lawsuit alleges a systematic, "and often violent campaign of criminal activities in the United States" designed to intimidate US citizens and residents practicing Falun Gong.

Based on the Racketeering, Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act and federal civil rights laws, the parties have asked the court to end what they call a Chinese "campaign of terror."

Falun Gong was banned by the Chinese government in 1999 [...], and has since faced the ire of law enforcement authorities there, with tens of thousands of [practitioner] rounded up and imprisoned in China.

The group bases its teachings on [Mr. Li], while practicing group exercises and traditional Chinese meditation.

Washington frequently criticises China's treatment of Falun Gong and other religious groups.

The US civil lawsuit was filed against China's Ministry of State Security, Ministry of Public Security and China's Central Television, according to a statement released by the Friends of Falun Gong here.

The 51 US plaintiffs allege to have "suffered physical assault, intimidation, harassment, death threats, vandalism and other violation on US soil in numerous cities across the country over the past 32 months."

Falun Gong [practitioner] Gail Rachlin recalled how her door had been repeatedly broken in and her address book and some income tax statements taken after she joined the movement.

"It was a scare tactic," she said, accusing the Chinese leadership for the actions both here and in China.

"(Chinese President) Jiang Zemin is directly responsible for the entire thing that's happened to Falun Gong," she said.

A spokesperson for the plaintiffs, Terri Wu, said she hoped the lawsuit would increase public awareness about Beijing's actions.

"I would like everyone to be alerted to that, then to help the end of the persecution of the Falun Gong in China and the extension of that persecution on US soil," Wu said.

According to McMahon, pursuant to the Sovereign Immunities Act, the Chinese government will have 60 days to respond to the suit once it is officially served.

"I think they would challenge our ability to sue them," McMahon acknowledged, adding that the Chinese government would likely file a motion to dismiss the case. The case would then go to the court of appeals.

After that, he said, there was a "good chance the lawsuit would end up in the Supreme Court."

The Supreme Court would then decide whether to take the case.

http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/dr/Qus-china-Falun Gong.RZKN_CA4.html