(Clearwisdom.net) After learning the news that Chinese Vice-president Zeng Qinghong was suspected of hiring gunmen to kill Australian Falun Gong practitioners traveling there to peacefully appeal to the persecution during his visit in South Africa on June 28, 2004, at noon on June 30, Falun Gong practitioners in Los Angeles gathered outside the Chinese Consulate to announce the details of the shooting incident, condemn Zeng Qinghong for employing hired assassins, and call upon governments of all countries, the media and people to join together to condemn Jiang Zemin's political group's act of terrorism and the persecution of Falun Gong, and to express that Falun Gong practitioners will not be frightened by such terrorism atrocities, and will definitely bring perpetrators and behind the scene instigators to justice.
Holding a press conference outside the Chinese Consulate
Falun Gong practitioners held up banners reading, "Strongly Condemn Jiang's Group's Act of Terrorism by Employing Hired Assassins," "Stop the killing, Stop the Persecution," and "Freedom of Belief," and displayed the photos of the practitioner who was shot and injured, and the car that was shot and damaged. Several Falun Gong practitioners gave speeches, recounting the details of the shooting incident and condemning Jiang's political group extending state-sponsored terrorism overseas.
It is reported that after hearing that Zeng Qinghong and Bo Xilai would visit South Africa on June 27-29, 2004, nine Australian Falun Gong practitioners arrived at Johannesburg International Airport in South Africa on the afternoon of June 28. Local Falun Gong practitioner picked them up and then they set out in two cars to the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa to peacefully appeal. On their way, at about 8:30 p.m., a white car suddenly opened fire from the side slightly behind the second car, targeting Falun Gong practitioners, at least five gunshots hit the car, leaving bullet holes on the car, and the tire (s) was punctured. There were five practitioners in the car, and the only one wearing clothing with the words, "Falun Dafa" was shot in his feet, shattering the bones in one foot.
In Mainland China, as early as the beginning of 2002, Jiang's regime issued an order allowing police to shoot Falun Gong practitioners. Afterwards, several incidents of Falun Gong practitioners being shot by the police occurred in different places around China. Liu Chengjun, who was tortured to death for being one of the major initiators of tapping into TV signals to broadcast the truth about Falun Gong in Changchun City, was shot in his legs while being handcuffed, causing serious injuries.
The Jiang regime's harassment, threats and violence against overseas Falun Gong practitioners is by no means rare. In September 2001, Falun Gong practitioners who were on hunger strike appealing outside the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago were violently attacked by three persons including Zheng Jiming and Weng Yujun, two of whom pleaded guilty when they were brought to trial. On June 23, 2003, when Liang Guanjun, chairman of the Unified Organization of Overseas Chinese Associations of New York, Hua Junxiong and a group of people were hosting a banquet for a Chinese diplomat in Chinatown, they surrounded, assaulted and beat Falun Gong practitioners who were peacefully appealing near the restaurant. After the incident, the Chinese Consulate published a statement, openly supporting the violent acts of Liang Guanjun and his gang. In other places around the world, violent assaults against Falun Gong practitioners directed by Chinese embassies and consulates also occurred.
This shooting incident in South Africa is the first incident taking place outside of China targeting peacefully appealing Falun Gong practitioners with firearms, and this is the most serious incident overseas Falun Gong practitioners encountered. The visiting leader Zeng Qinghong was originally a Ruling Party official in Shanghai and followed Jiang Zemin into Zhongnanhai (the Chinese central leadership compound) after the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. He is considered to be a trusted associate of Jiang Zemin, in charge of the Party's secret service, he has participated in planning all important incident including the suppression of Falun Gong during Jiang Zemin's reign.
University of California Los Angeles Professor and Falun Gong practitioner Wu Yingnian pointed out in his speech that Jiang's group's desperation in employing hired assassins exposed its true nature of state terrorism, and also reflected Jiang's political group was fearful of being sued overseas, because overseas lawsuits cut their leeway of escaping overseas when they are to be put on trial in China.
It is reported that several Chinese high-ranking officials who participate in the persecution of Falun Gong have been served with lawsuits by Falun Gong practitioners while they visited abroad. Jiang has been sued in several countries for genocide, torture and crimes against humanity.
Los Angeles practitioners expressed that Falun Gong practitioners will not be frightened by Jiang's group's act of terrorism. Falun Gong will persistently expose Jiang's group's crimes, and also called upon people from all walks of life to pay attention to the plight of Falun Gong practitioners in China, and stop Jiang's group's acts of terrorism.
