October the 1st 2003
As a member of the standing committee of the Chinese Central Government, and ranking the 9th [most influential politician] in China, Luo Gan began his trip to Europe with Iceland as his first stop. Luo Gan did not receive a warm welcome. Instead, he experienced a large-scale protest against him by Amnesty International, Falun Gong practitioners and Icelandic citizens. The people knew about Luo Gan's role as one of the heads of the "610 Office", an organisation specially set up in June 1999 to systematically persecute Falun Gong under the orders of former President of China, Jiang Zemin. At that time, Falun Gong was the most popular qigong practice in the history of China, with numbers that surpassed the membership of the Chinese communist Party.
The Xinhua News Agency published a report that support for Falun Gong would harm the Chinese government and is a serious threat. However, Falun Gong is a completely non-political, peaceful, spiritual cultivation practice for raising one's physical and moral standards. Apart from this, the Xinhua News Agency report was obviously reacting to the protest in Iceland. Based on some people's judgement, the news clearly indicates a difference in opinions between Chinese leaders toward the continuing of this persecution.
This persecution has lasted for over four years and has consumed a huge amount of Chinese financial resources. To date, it is believed that about 800 people have been persecuted to death, more than 100,000 sent to labour camps, and millions of Chinese people have lost their human rights. As with Iceland, Luo Gan also met Falun Gong practitioners and their yellow banners in Finland. Also in a similar vein to Iceland, where Luo Gan had been charged with genocide, torture, and crimes against humanity, Finnish Falun Dafa practitioners filed a lawsuit against him on the 3rd day of his visit to Finland, as well as making an appeal. A declaration by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs stopped a preliminary investigation, because Luo Gan was said to enjoy immunity as he was visiting Finland as the vice-premier. As a matter of fact, Luo Gan is not the vice premier; and an identity as a vice premier cannot act as a reason to avoid the charges. According to the international treaty, neither genocide nor torture can be disregarded because of state immunity.
An action to ensure that the Jiang's regime takes responsibility for the persecution continues. Falun Gong practitioners have filed lawsuits through the correct legal channels in eight countries, three of which have already been judged as guilty in United States courts.
Source: http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200310/15621.html