(Clearwisdom.net, September 2, 2003)
17th August 2003
His Excellency, President of Romania, Mr. Ion Iliescu,
I learned that you will be visiting China at the end of August and will be meeting the ex-president
of China, Jiang Zemin. I am writing to respectfully call on you to urge Jiang Zemin to release all
detained Falun Gong practitioners and ultimately lift the ban on Falun Gong in China.
Falun Gong presents a health-inducing set of exercises based on ancient insights into the human
mind, body and spirit. It is entirely peaceful and promotes the traditional values of
Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. The five sets of Falun Gong exercises are tranquil and
meditative. Its benefits include health, happiness and meaningful living. After being introduced to
the public in China in May 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi, the practice quickly spread by word of mouth
throughout the country. It is now practised by 100 million practitioners in more than 60 countries.
It has no political intention other than to stop the persecution in China.
Concerned that the peaceful practice was making significant gains in popularity, former Chinese
leader Jiang Zemin launched a vicious campaign to eradicate Falun Gong in July 1999. Since then,
extensive and horrific news has spread to the world about the torture and killing of Falun Gong
practitioners in China. During the past four years, intimidation, torture and prison sentences are
commonplace for hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in China. But not only the people
of China are victims of Jiang's policy of genocide; the Jiang regime's defamation and propaganda has
caused millions of people worldwide to be misinformed and incognisant of the true nature of Falun
Gong, including in Romania. The persecution of Falun Gong is in reality a persecution of humanity.
It is well-documented by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights since July 1999 (see: Human Rights Watch, "Dangerous Meditation --
China's Campaign Against Falun Gong" at: http://hrw.org/reports/2002/china/http://hrw.org/reports/2002/china/),
that Jiang Zemin's regime has imprisoned practitioners on false charges and inflicted grievous
tortures upon them, even unto death, in its systematic attempt to eradicate Falun Gong. According to
incomplete statistics, within the past four years beginning on July 20, 1999, 770 practitioners (as
of 20.8.2003) have been verified as being tortured to death in over 30 provinces, autonomous regions
and municipalities. However, according to the government's official internal statistics, the actual
number of practitioners who died after being arrested had reached 1,600 by the end of 2001.
(Summaries of confirmed deaths by Province can be viewed at: http://media.minghui.org/gb/d-stats/province_en.htm)
Please take serious note of the fact that despite the persecution, not a single act of retaliation
has been reported.
Since the crackdown in July 1999, Falun Gong has gained worldwide support from many governments and
international organisations. The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 15 February 2001
calling on the regime in China to respect the human rights of the practitioners. Amnesty
International has produced several reports detailing many atrocities suffered by Falun Gong
practitioners. The US Congress passed a resolution unanimously in July 2002 criticising the
suppression. (http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwhse0275.html)
In several countries/regions around the world, because of crimes of genocide and crimes against
humanity, lawsuits have been filed against the former Chinese leader, Jiang Zemin, officials of the
610 Office - a gestapo-like organization Jiang created to 'eradicate' Falun Gong which now has
11,000 staff members - and other Chinese officials for their roles in carrying out the persecution
of Falun Gong in China. The lawsuits have been filed in the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Belgium,
Switzerland, Hong Kong and Indonesia. An international coalition of lawyers has also announced a
coordinated effort to file more lawsuits against Jiang Zemin in the coming months. The world
community is standing up to bring Jiang Zemin to justice.
International support and intervention have played major parts in the successful high-profile
campaigns for the release of many Falun Gong practitioners incarcerated in China, hence we call on
you.
On behalf of WOIPFG in Europe, I respectfully call on you to urge Jiang Zemin to lift the ban on
Falun Gong in China, stop the persecution and release all Falun Gong practitioners. You might even
consider not meeting with a dictator who is being charged with the crimes of genocide and crimes
against humanity. Please also encourage the clarification of the truth about Falun Gong in Romania.
Sincerely,
Martin Kritzler
About World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG)
Mission of WOIPFG: To investigate the criminal conduct of all institutions, organizations, and individuals involved in the persecution of Falun Gong; to bring such investigation, no matter how long it takes, no matter how far and deep we have to search, to full closure; to exercise fundamental principles of humanity; and to restore and uphold justice in society.
WOIPFG endorses the principle of individual criminal accountability for all rulers, public officials, or private individuals who commit genocide against Falun Gong. WOIPFG will facilitate the prosecution of responsible parties before the International Criminal Court and other tribunals.
Since January 2003, WOIPFG has started independent investigations in five areas where crimes are committed (see attachment 1). All investigation results will be used as evidence in court where Jiang Zemin and other organizations, institutes and individuals involved in the persecution of Falun Gong are charged.