Working group (Asia)

Paris, June 2, 2003

Declaration of the French LES VERTS

A Chinese dictator must answer for his crimes

The French Green party support energetically the initiative to bring to justice the dictator Jiang Zemin by a Federal American Court of Law.

During many years, Jiang Zemin hid behind the immunity afforded to heads of State to organize a bloody unjustified crackdown on a traditional meditation practice known as Falun Gong and also any individual or parties working for human rights. Thousands of people have died as a consequence of such orders and hundreds of thousands of families have been separated.

Today, Jiang Zemin is no longer protected by this immunity and so it is time that justice prevailed: the dictator must answer for his crimes to the families he has destroyed.

The Green French have said many times already that nothing justifies such a persecution of Falun Gong, which is a traditional practice anchored in Chinese culture and a peaceful and non-political movement. The political terror organized by former president Jiang Zemin is even less acceptable.

For the French Greens the notion of impunity is noxious and must be definitively banished . All persons accused of crimes against humanity, torture and genocide must answer for their crimes in a court of justice, regardless of their political status.

The initiative of Falun Gong practitioners victims of the crackdown to lodge a Complaint against the dictator Jiang Zemin has our support. We wish that many other such procedures will be launched in Europe and in France. This can be only be but positive for China.

Jean-Marc Brulé