(clearwisdom.net)
On April 3, 2003, Falun Gong practitioners held press conferences in three German cities: Berlin, Dresden, and Hanover. The purpose was to officially announce an appeal to the German police who overreacted during Jiang's visit to Germany last April. It was also announced that a request is being made for the police's illegal behavior to be judged in court. Here is a speech made by a Falun Gong spokesperson during the press conference in Berlin:
You are probably asking yourself why these Falun Gong practitioners are dredging up old matters when the state visit by the unpleasant ruler, Jiang Zemin, is already a year in the past. Most of you have already forgotten these events. The person of Jiang Zemin, who even reversed himself and refused to meet with the German press, causes us to recall many issues that need scrutiny.
Are not current problems enough to think about? Actually, we can assume that by creating diversions with present events, history will be pushed into the background. Such seems to be the hope of all dictatorships, including the Chinese, who hope that by drawing outward attention to immediate problems, deeds of the past will be ignored or forgotten. But Minister Joschka Fischer said it so well during last year's human rights conference in Geneva, "There is no anti-terror rebate when it comes to human rights violations. Likewise, there is no anti-war rebate if China, as ever, condones murder and torture, because her people wish to live by universal principles."
Those are the things that motivate us, urge us on; that's why we stand in the streets, ask for signatures and speak with politicians. Our aims and goals: to facilitate an end to this persecution and make it possible for our families, friends and acquaintances in China to once more have the opportunity for lives of freedom and dignity.
These were the goals and aims last year, when we Falun Gong practitioners took to the streets around Alexanderplatz (a noted city square), where we carried the photographs of those practitioners who had been murdered in China in our funeral procession. When we had arrived at our officially designated area, five meters east of the crossing Unter den Linden (the name of a boulevard) and Wilhelmstrasse, we made the disconcerting discovery that we were being pushed 80 meters further east and were ordered to a place behind a barricade where we were finally permitted to begin our peaceful meditation - behind bars, like people who cannot be trusted.
If one had a European appearance, one was then lucky enough to be permitted to use a toilet or transverse the Brandenburg Gate. If one looked Asian, those were categorically denied. If one wore a yellow shirt or scarf, things became even more complicated. At first we were permitted to wear these pieces of attire, and then suddenly we were not. Astonished, we asked who had issued such directives. The answer was a brusque "from above." Ever since then we are in search of the elusive "above" that was cited again and again. We also heard police say, "Yes, Jiang Zemin does not want to see the color yellow; he does not want to be confronted with Falun Gong practitioners. If he sees them, he threatens to leave. If we police don't follow orders, it will damage Germany's prestige." I heard these same comments from police officers all over, from Berlin to Potsdam to Dresden and all the way to Goslar. Press headlines proclaimed, "Berlin is located in China." It seemed to be so to us.
Our attorney will make you familiar with a few significant cases later on. I would like to emphasize another matter: the reasons for waiting until now to bring this fact-finding lawsuit. The explanation for the delay is our futile search for the "from above." We want to find "him" and ask him why yellow clothing and skin color are considered so dangerous, to the point where we are categorized under the rubric, "Security Level One?" We need plausible answers to several nagging questions, such as why were some of us body-searched and threatened with words such as, "I will shoot you," (in Potsdam) and "I will incarcerate you," (Berlin) and why were we torn from sleep in our beds, and why one of us, a mere 5 feet 3 inches tall, was put in handcuffs and removed from a hotel?
These things seemed incongruous, unbelievable, and we considered them isolated incidents at first. We ascribed these incidents to misunderstandings, to overly zealous police officers and we were ready to treat these misguided officers with tolerance. We even explained the facts about Falun Gong to them in a compassionate manner and let them know about the persecution. We told them that for the past three years, the Chinese dictator had attempted to destroy gentle Falun Gong practitioners. We demonstrated to them that we are never aggressive and that no evidence exists, either in China or abroad, anywhere in the world, that any Falun Gong practitioner had ever retaliated. We spoke in gentle voices and could not fathom that they were hunting us down for speaking the words, "Falun Dafa Hao, Falun Dafa is Good," if we had an Asian appearance or wore a yellow scarf.
Only after we had collected many eyewitness accounts, in writing, dated and signed, did a pattern emerge from all over Germany, with the same remarks being made: "because you are wearing a yellow scarf;" "because you look Chinese;" "because you practice Falun Gong." Once Jiang left Germany, all these accusations disappeared into thin air, like a puff of smoke.
This mentality, though, did not disappear completely, but once again reared its head in June 2002, when Jiang visited Iceland. Suddenly, Icelandic officials suddenly waved lists, interned arriving [Falun Gong] passengers at the airport and, in a turn of events, incited the whole populace to show solidarity with the practitioners. To which "above" did officials from this small, peace-loving country bow to commit such absurd deeds? The officials went even further and prohibited their national airline, Iceland Air, to transport Falun Gong practitioners. Black lists made the rounds at international airports. Where did they come from? After Jiang left Iceland, as they did in Germany, these events disappeared, like ghosts in the night.
Following these experiences, we began our fact-finding journey, making the rounds at governmental offices, police precincts, interior ministries and lawyers' offices to determine and have people understand clearly who we are, what we are about, and what people may expect of us. More often than not our words fell on deaf ears, and we heard comments such as, "The events are over and done with, why dig into the past?" But for us they were not in the past. Please imagine how a man like Zhao Ming, who joined us, must feel when security forces are incarcerating him, even for one hour, in the Adlon Hotel in Berlin, merely because he looks Chinese? Zhao Ming is the man who owes his freedom to friends in Ireland who through their never-ceasing efforts got him released after two years of incarceration and torture in China. Can you imagine his mindset?
One of the state ministries did make an exception -- instead of turning deaf ears, they showed a willingness to hear us out. Instead of a rebuff, we were assured verification of our accusations. Instead of sweeping our complaints under the rug, we encountered the confession that perhaps in the heat of the situation, the conduct shown by the police in those circumstances did not justify the means used by the authorities, and were given an apology. Berlin Senator Dr. Erhart Koerting and his colleagues were able to admit errors and have promised improved handling of such events in the future. We thankfully accepted their words.
That is more than can be said for other states. Interior ministry representatives from Brandenburg, Lower Saxonia and Saxonia Proper are silent and unapproachable, as was the German Federal Ministry as of two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, the intervention of the Berlin Senators has made it possible to get closer to a desired dialogue with representatives from the interior ministry. We want to continue this pursuit, even though we are now in the lawsuit phase. But, we must ask, do we have hope that we will find this "above," this enigma who has issued this decree, which is not sanctioned by German law, nor can a non-protection clause be found under such law? "Because you look yellow, because you belong to Falun Gong, you are not allowed to sit here, stand here, go there, cannot use the toilet, cannot live here, cannot meditate, might be incarcerated, might be shot in the street?" All this - to appease a dictator and assure him a beautiful German visit, while he in his own nation, China, orders and condones the torture of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners, as well as Christians and other minorities, because he deems them undesirable!
We do not wish to dispute with any government--no matter on what basis--not with the government of a nation that allows us to live here peacefully, according to law. We have tried for a whole year to avoid dispute, and we are still willing to avoid dispute. We were and still are of the opinion that we must be protected from a further spread of persecution, which seeks to broaden its reach into countries outside of China.
As long as this absurd, unlawful persecution in China endures, you will always find us publicly and peaceably, and within the framework of the law, protesting these injustices, hopefully with the support of many citizens and political entities all over this country. We hope that transgressions occurring against the Basic Law last year will be somewhat tempered through sincere apologies, so we can all join together for an end to this persecution.
(Original text in German)
Category: Rallies & Protests
