AFP: Another Top Chinese Official Hit by Falungong Torture Suit

NEW YORK, Aug 28 (AFP) - Falungong activists said Tuesday they had swooped on another senior Chinese official visiting the United States and slapped him with a civil lawsuit alleging torture and crimes against humanity.

A member of the spiritual group, outlawed in China, approached Zhou Yongkang, [party's name omitted] General Secretary of Sichuan province Monday while he was on a visit to Chicago.

Falungong practitioner Haiying He, 32, a Chinese exile living in Boston, placed the complaint in Zhou's hands, human rights attorney Terri Marsh said.

Marsh alleged He's sister, Haiyan He, was subjected to torture in Sichuan before she disappeared. Family members believe she has been executed, she said.

"I want to ask (Zhou) where is my sister?" said He.

"Zhou Yongkang is directly responsible for all the sufferings of my family, and all the Falungong practitioners in Sichuan Province."

Among charges listed in the complaint filed in federal court in Chicago are torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, crimes against humanity and false imprisonment.

Zhou, who is believed to be on a business trip to the United States, is being targeted under the Torture Victims Protection Act and the Alien Tort Claims Act.

The legislation gives US courts jurisdiction over acts of torture committed outside the country but a suit can only proceed if defendants are served with legal papers while in the United States.

In July, Falungong activists served a 50 million-dollar process against Zhao Zhifei, Public Security Chief of China's Hubei province during a visit to New York, also alleging torture, murder and crimes against humanity.

A similar lawsuit was filed against China's former prime minister Li Peng by survivors of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre.

Zhou has 20 days to reply to the suit, or a default judgement can be lodged against him. Ultimately a damages claim can be made and activists may try to seize any assets he has in the United States.

[...] Since the Chinese government banned Falungong in July 1999, more than 10,000 members of the movement, [...], have been sent to "reeducation through labor" camps, practitioners say.