Shooting victim David Liang in a hospital in Pretoria, South AfricaSouth Africa: Falun Gong Practitioner in South Africa Shot During Chinese Officials' Visit.
The drive-by shooting of a Falun Gong practitioner in South Africa on Monday marks a new level of violence and recklessness in former Chinese leader Jiang Zeminis worldwide persecution of Falu Gong.
David Liang was driving one of two cars en route from the Johannesburg airport to Pretoria around 8:30 Monday evening when a white car with three occupants overtook them and fired at least five shots into the vehicle. Liang was hospitalized with bullet wounds and his car was disabled in the incident.
Two Chinese government officials heavily implicated in the persecution of Falun Gong in China are currently visiting South Africa. Vice president Zeng Qinghong and Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai both have had legal cases submitted against them, the latter earlier this year in the United States and Poland. The charges: torture, genocide and crimes against humanity.
Liang and eight other Falun Gong practitioners from Australia arrived in South Africa to assist locals in revealing the nature of the persecution of Falun Gong in general, and the heinous actions of the two visiting officials in particular. They intended to hold a press conference to expose the crimes of the two officials and to have legal papers served against them.
The shooters did not stop when Liang was shot and his vehicle was disabled. Liang is of Chinese origin, was the only one shot, and was the only one in the car wearing a jacket with the words "Falun Dafa." These facts, and others that are sure to emerge, point to this conclusion: the shooting was a premeditated action specifically targeting Falun Gong during the two officials' visit.
Zeng, Bo, and other high officials have given orders in China that have resulted in torture and death. During the nearly five years of persecution against Falun Gong, harassment, interference with basic rights, death threats, beatings, break-ins, and now an assault with guns have targeted practitioners of Falun Gong outside China, on foreign soil.
Hiring someone to kill others due to belief or association is the act of terrorists, and this is what we believe has happened in South Africa at the behest of Chinese officials.
A local resident noted that this was not a random act of violence, but definitely "an act of political persecution." Police have opened a case and assigned an inspector.
We urge the authorities in South Africa to thoroughly and carefully investigate this incident and uncover the people behind this reprehensible act. We further urge all governments to condemn the actions of the Chinese authorities in persecuting Falun Gong inside China, as well as outside China.
Stop the State Terrorism of Chinese Regime
June 29, 2004, 9:00 AM Presidential Guest House, Church Street Gate 10, Johannesburg.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a powerful mind and body improvement practice based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. Mr. Li Hongzhi introduced it to the public in 1992.
Since then, millions of individuals in nearly 50 countries around the world have taken up the peaceful, meditative practice. Out of his jealousy of the peaceful practice, which attracted 70-100 million people in just a few years, former dictator Jiang outlawed Falun Gong.
Arbitrary detentions, imprisonment, torture and intimidation are among the tactics employed to force practitioners to renounce their belief in the practice.
Practitioners in China and abroad have responded with ongoing peaceful appeals to the Chinese Government and to world leaders for an end to the persecution. Practitioners will travel from across the country and around the world to take part in this years commemoration.
THE MOVEMENT CHINA WANTS HALTED
For most people, Falun Gong is still a comparatively new system and, on the face of it, not much different from various other healing and relaxation exercises. The difference lies, primarily, in its philosophy depicted through its emblem, the Falun, representing the wheel of dharma. The Taoist yin-yang and the Buddha's dharma-chakra are both reflected in the Falun emblem.
"This sign does not connote any concept of classes. It was 2,500 years ago in Sakyamuni's time that the human society came to widely recognize this sign. Later, Hitler usurped it," explains Hongzhi. "The configuration of Falun is a miniature of the universe and has its own form of existence and process of evolution in each of the other spaces. Therefore, I call it a world."
By FLGJustice posted 30 June 04
