Statement to the Press Outside the Chinese Consulate in Chicago Concerning the Murder of Falun Gong Practitioners in China

January 10, 2002

As of this morning we could confirm the deaths of 343 Falun Gong practitioners as a result of Jiang Zemin's campaign of terror against them. One month ago today we could confirm 323 deaths, meaning that we have learned of 20 new deaths in the last 31 days. But this number, as horrible as it is, understates the horror of what is going on in China right now. In October of 2001 sources inside the Chinese government revealed that the true number of deaths of practitioners was over 1,600. At that time we could confirm 288 deaths. In other words, sources inside the government placed the actual deaths at more than five times the number we could confirm. Does this mean that if we knew all the facts we would have learned these past four weeks, not of 20 new deaths, but of 100 new deaths? Or more?

In China today we are seeing the brutal persecution of innocent human beings for no reason other than their innocence and their goodness. Yesterday we learned of the death of He Xingzong. On December 8 He had gone out to post Falun Gong fliers, and never returned. He Xingzong's body had severe wounds to the back of the head. The testicles were crushed. He had been strangled. When someone called the police and asked why he had died, the police said, "He Xingzong died from posting fliers." Only in the China of Jiang Zemin could such an answer be given. In the China of Jiang Zemin, terror rules, and tries to change the very meanings of words. "Posting fliers" is now a cause of death, and the good is called bad, and the bad is called good. He Xingzong posted fliers out of compassion for the people of China. He simply wanted to remind the people of China of what is really good and what is really bad. He simply wanted to tell them that Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance will always be good, and that torture and persecution will always be evil.

Terror tries to rule the heart with fear. We don't fear Jiang Zemin. We don't accept his evil. We know the goodness of the people of Chicago. We know they stand with He Xingzong, and with the innocent Falun Gong practitioners of China, and against terror in all its forms. We call upon the people of Chicago to let the people of China and the people of the world know that terror cannot change what is good and what is bad. I have here in my hand a list of phone numbers. On this list are the phone numbers of those who killed He Xingzong, and the phone numbers of others who have killed innocent practitioners. We ask the people of Chicago - call someone on this list, and say, "Stop the killing!" Call the offices of this consulate across the street, and say, "Stop the killing!" Call the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., and say, "Stop the killing!"

Jiang Zemin has tried for 28 months to use terror to eliminate Falun Gong in China. This New Year's Day, reports from China say that he secretly ordered his police to become even more brutal. Today we remember those who died due to his orders. But we also look ahead. Every day reports come from China of police officers, government officials, and ordinary people of all kinds who know that He Xingzong is right, and that Jiang Zemin is wrong. Jiang Zemin turns desperately to ever more violence because the hearts of the people of China, and of people around the world, are coming to know the goodness of Falun Gong and the evil of his persecution of it. Jiang knows the time left in which he can try to destroy innocence is coming to a close. Let's speak up now and help bring his terror in China to a swift and merciful end.