Every year on Human Rights Day we mark the adoption of the United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has become a universal standard for defending and promoting human rights. It has been over 50 years since the Universal Declaration (1) was signed by most governments in the world, and yet the abuses continue to grow (2). Today, on behalf of the "Attorneys to Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice" I would like to bring your attention to the most severe persecution against good people in China since the Cultural Revolution, and also the biggest collaborative legal efforts in peace-time since the Nuremberg Nazi trials.
For the past five years, a hundred million Falun Gong practitioners, approximately 8% of China's entire 1.3 billion population, have been targeted for "eradication" by former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, simply because they exercise their peaceful belief in Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, principles which are deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture. The annual reports from the United Nation Human Rights Commission, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and the U.S. Department of State verify that China's "rule of law" has become a tool in Jiang Zemin's hands to persecute Falun Gong. Thousands are reported to have been tortured to death. Most Falun Gong practitioners at present are sentenced without trial and denied legal representation.
We hope the United Nations will not appease Jiang's persecution of Falun Gong for economic or political reasons, or allow Jiang Zemin's overseas forces to harass and threaten Falun Gong practitioners in a free land, because this kind of appeasement and submission is unjust, and is assisting the evil to punish the kind.
Ladies and gentleman, I am a survivor of the September 11th terrorist attack, having escaped from the World Trade Center building. I personally experienced how ambitious terrorists will take thousands of lives to enforce the terrorism of a dictatorship. Over these years, I have witnessed the families of victims having a difficult time dealing with the painful memories. But Jiang Zemin, to satisfy his personal political ambitions, and to fulfill his personal dictatorial will, has attempted to force up to a hundred million Falun Gong practitioners to give up their beliefs. His demand that people must pay with their lives, bodies and freedom, should be detested by the people.
At this time, we 30 lawyers from 28 countries, including, but not limited to the US, Canada, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Greece, Austria, Russia, Portland, France, Finland, Taiwan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Bolivia and Chile are assisting Falun Gong practitioners worldwide to sue Jiang Zemin, the Vice Premier, Culture Minister, Minister of Commerce, Minister of Information, Former Beijing Mayor, Former Education Minister and 14 other high officials who have participated in persecuting Falun Gong for genocide, crimes against humanity, and torture--all serious international crimes.
Ladies and gentleman, the purpose of these criminal complaints and civil lawsuits is very pure and simple. We lawyers are calling for stopping this persecution immediately and in the end, we plan to bring Jiang Zemin and those other Chinese high officials before an International Tribunal.
We believe that as we gain the support of more and more people with upright consciences, this cruel and inhumane persecution will eventually come to an end. The principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance constitute our very humanity. No persecution could succeed against those principles without extinguishing who we are. By suing Jiang Zemin, we are affirming what is best in all of us.
Thank you and we wish you the very best.