June 30, 2004

A member of China's banned Falun Gong movement has been shot in a Johannesburg drive-by attack.

The group claims the Chinese government is responsible.

Nine Australia-based members of the group, which has claimed it is the subject of persecution and human rights abuses in China, entered the country on Monday on a trip coinciding with the official visit to South Africa by Chinese vice-president Zeng Qinghong and Commerce Minister Bo Xilai.

Their purpose was to protest outside SA-China Binational Commission meetings and to launch a lawsuit alleging human rights abuses and torture against the Chinese government, in terms of international human rights law - a routine Falun Gong tactic around the world.

Ironically, after the two countries signed several agreements yesterday, Zeng thanked South Africa for recently blocking a United Nations debate into China's human rights record.

Five of the Falun Gong protesters became lost while travelling to Pretoria on Monday, ending up on the N1 South towards Bloemfontein.

Near Nasrec their car came under automatic gunfire from another car and driver David Liang sustained gunshot wounds to his feet.

Falun Gong spokesman Leon Wang said: "One gunshot penetrated his left foot and exited on the other side while another smashed his right heel."

Speaking from his bed in Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital yesterday, Liang said: "Our attackers just accosted us and in the process started to fire several shots. I was surprised when I saw these people driving at high speed like us."

"When I slowed down, they would also slow down," said Liang.

"We did not see them, but we think that the vice-president and the minister have hired people to kill us."

"After shooting at us, they did not rob us and simply sped away. We are sure the Chinese government is involved," said Liang.

The Falun Gong further claimed in a statement that 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".

[...] (1)

National police commissioner Jackie Selebi's spokesman, Senior Superintendent Selby Bokaba, said police were probing charges of attempted murder and malicious damage to property.

But Bokaba said it would be premature to speculate on the real cause of the incident.

A handful of Falun Gong protesters picketed yesterday outside the commission meeting at the presidential guesthouse in Pretoria, where South Africa and China signed seven agreements involving education, business and agriculture.

[...] (2)

Notes:

1. Chinese Officials propaganda statements to defame Falun Gong are not published on this site.
2. Falun Gong takes no position on political matters and issues concerning political agreements between China and South Africa were not included in this excerpt as they are unrelated to the issue.

http://www.pretorianews.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=270&fArticleId=2132612