(Clearwisdom.net) Clearwisdom correspondent Wang Ruilin reports in Washington DC: After hearing the shocking news that Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong hired assailants in South Africa to shoot Australian Falun Gong practitioners on June 28, 2004, Washington DC Falun Gong practitioners held a press conference on June 29 outside the Chinese Embassy in the US, strongly condemning Jiang's political group's act of terrorism in South Africa against Falun Gong practitioners.

Dozens of practitioners held up banners reading (in both Chinese and English) "Condemn Jiang Zemin's Group's Employing Hired Assassins," "Jiang Zemin's Group's Assassination Attempt Challenges the World's Anti-Terrorism Trend," "Investigate the Shooting Incident of Falun Gong Practitioners in South Africa," and "Dictator Jiang Sued for Genocide of Falun Gong Practitioners."

Practitioners' banners

Practitioner Dr. Nieh Sen from Catholic American University gives a speech

Practitioner Jared gives a speech

Practitioners explains the facts to passersby

Practitioner has a photo taken with a police officer

Showing the evidence that Jiang's group attacks and harasses overseas Falun Gong practitioners

Dr. Nieh Sen, spokesperson for Falun Gong practitioners in Washington DC and a professor at the American Catholic University stated, "The shooting incident occurred on the freeway, at 100 to 110 kilometers per hour as practitioners prepared to go to a press conference and serve legal papers against the visiting Chinese officials. Driving at such a speed, once the front tire was targeted, the car was sure to overturn putting all passengers lives in a dangerous situation. The gunman would have been quite clear on this point. The driver, David Liang, was shot in both feet, so he would be unable to brake safely to reduce the speed of the car, also creating a dangerous situation for the lives of all passengers. This was David Liang's first visit to South Africa, so he could not have any enemies there, and the gunman made no attempt to rob the practitioners once their car was stopped, but instead fled the scene after firing into the car. The gunman appeared to be a professional assassin, spraying the car in a short burst of continous gunshots and leaving five bulletholes in the car. What is even more noteworthy is that David Liang was the only person in the vehicle wearing a jacket with the words, 'Falun Dafa' on it. It is clear that Zeng Qinghong and Bo Xilai, out of desperation to avoid being served with another lawsuit for their complicity in persecuting practitioners, colluded with local gangsters to make an attempt on the lives of Falun Gong practitioners and prevent their plans serve legal papers.

A Western practitioner pointed out that the shooting incident was not isolated but instead represented an escalation of Jiang's political group's exporting the persecution of Falun Gong outside China. He explained that over the past five years, by utilizing Chinese embassies and consulates all over the world, Jiang's political group has followed and threatened Falun Gong practitioners on numerous occasions. They utilized secret agents to record Falun Gong practitioners' conversations on private occasions and played it back to their homes' answering phones. Jiang's political followers also sent death threats to Falun Gong spokespersons and cancelled Falun Gong practitioners' passport applications and visa extensions. They even hired Chinese people living abroad, who have been poisoned by the propaganda against Falun Gong, to beat Falun Gong practitioners and burn their vehicles. Jiang's group created and distributed a black list of Falun Gong practitioners and spread misinformation to countries around the world so as to prohibit Falun Gong practitioners from entering countries and expose Jiang's crimes. These same followers threatened to harm overseas Falun Gong practitioners' relatives in China.

Regarding Jiang's political group attempts to export the persecution of Falun Gong overseas, the US Congress drafted out a resolution condemning these acts. In April 2002, 50 Falun Gong practitioners in Washington DC filed a lawsuit against the Chinese Public Security Department, National Security Department, state-run CCTV and Embassies and Consulates regarding these criminal acts. The lawsuit is currently under way.

Another Western practitioner stated, "Falun Dafa has been extensively welcomed in over 60 countries, the awards and proclamations received from governments of different countries number over a thousand. With the current worldwide efforts to end terrorism, Jiang's political group's recent act of terrorism can only make governments of all countries clearly see its terrorist nature by committing acts of state terrorism under the cover of being anti-terrorism."

A police officer who was on duty told practitioners that he had watched the news on TV about the incident. Some local citizens passing by felt shocked and angry at such an incident after learning the facts.

At present, Jiang Zemin has been served several lawsuits in several countries. His followers who participate in the persecution of Falun Gong, including Luo Gan, Li Lanqing, Xia Deren, Liu Qi, Zhao Zhifei, Sun Jiazheng, and Bo Xilai have also been sued in different countries. Recently, Anhui Provincial Committee Secretary Wang Taihua and Wang Xudong, who once was the Hebei Provincial Committee Secretary and currently holds the position as director of the Information Industry Department were also served with lawsuits in the US for persecuting Falun Gong. Among these persecutors, Xia Deren, Liu Qi and Zhao Zhifei have had judgments passed against them, and other lawsuits are under way. The Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in Toronto Pan Xinchun was successfully sued for "libel" after openly defaming Falun Gong practitioners in a newspaper.

Dr. Liu, who is teaching at American University pointed out, "This gangland style shooting plotted by Zeng Qinghong in an attempt to prevent Falun Gong practitioners from suing him. It is nothing but his desperate struggle while facing a dead end."

Canadian Falun Gong practitioners have submitted a list of names of 44 human rights criminals including Zeng Qinghong to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. If these people attempt to enter Canada, they will be immediately under investigation or deported.

Falun Gong practitioners called upon the South African Government to thoroughly investigate the shooting incident, and its behind the scene instigators, and at the same time, the practitioners called upon governments of all countries to prohibit persecutors like Zeng Qinghong and Bo Xilai, whose hands are stained with the blood of Falun Gong practitioners, from entering their countries.