December 7, 2004 Tuesday

A YAGOONA artist will continue her fight against former Chinese president Jiang Zemin this Friday when her accusations of torture are expected to be heard in the NSW Supreme Court.

Zhang Cuiying, who said she migrated to Australia in 1991, will allege that upon her 1999 return to China she was arrested, imprisoned and subjected to mental and physical torture for practising Falun Gong.

The Falun Gong belief system is described as a form of exercise which focuses on improving the mind and body.

Ms Zhang, who said she was an Australian citizen, said she was seeking cash compensation from Mr. Zemin for injuries she claims to have suffered between March and November 2000 in the No.1 Shangmeilin Detention Centre in Shenzhen, China.

She declined to say how much money she was seeking.

A NSW Supreme Court spokeswoman said the court would discuss on Friday if it had jurisdiction over the matter or if the allegations would have to be taken to a higher court.

Ms Zhang said she had returned to China in 1999 to promote the practice of Falun Gong and said she was detained by authorities four times for her beliefs.

"I felt that I must speak a word of justice for Falun Gong even though I was aware that it was extremely dangerous to do so," Ms Zhang said last week in a written statement to the Canterbury-Bankstown Express.

Yagoona resident Richard Szabo, a spokesman for Ms Zhang and fellow Falun Gong practitioner, said the former president had been invited to defend the allegations in court.

Falun Gong literature shows that Ms Zhang's case is one of 46 being brought against Jiang Zemin and his followers by members of the Falun Dafa Association around the world.

Association members claim they were tortured on orders by the former leader. Mr Szabo said if Friday's NSW Supreme Court hearing was not acknowledged by Mr Zemin, Ms Zhang's case may go to an international court with similar cases from around the world.

Ms Zhang said the Australian Government had been instrumental in securing her release in China.

"It was only due to the intervention of the Australian consulate and with the help of the Australian Government that I was released," Ms Zhang said.

Ms Zhang said in 2001 she toured 20 countries in Europe and North America to speak to government leaders and human rights organisations about the persecution and killing of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

She said she continued to practise her beliefs in Australia but had suffered bad dreams of being captured and tortured.