(Clearwisdom.net September 15, 2003)
The media in China intentionally overlooks the lawsuits against Jiang overseas, they habitually deceive people, and deprive people of their right to know. After the judge in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois dismissed the case, the Foreign Relations speaker and the media that Jiang controls jumped at the chance to slander the lawsuit, totally forgetting that the global effort to bring Jiang to justice is still in full swing. Although the news broadcasted by China's state-controlled media completely misrepresented the issue, it widely spread news of Falun Gong practitioners' lawsuit against Jiang in China, which had been insulated from this information.
Let us see some examples of the comments posted on the web about this news:
"Why not report this case when it was first being filed?"
"Which official is being sued?"
"What kind of leader is he? Shame on him!"
"Please inform us of the lawsuit's original basis, and its development! What exactly happened? Why was there a lawsuit? We need to know the whole story!"
"Since there was no sentencing, where is the false charge?"
"If somebody is honest, he would not be afraid of another's lawsuit. Trouble arises when you aren't honest, then others can expose you faults."
"Reading www.Sino.com not only broadened my horizons and increased my knowledge, but also nurtured my imagination. Reading the website has become one of my favorite ways of entertaining myself after work. Please do not be shocked when you see a news story which is missing key facts, because the people of Sino.com invested an extensive amount of time and effort to bring us a weekend of news that is hilarious for us."
The journalist and editor who made this news should feel ashamed after reading these comments.
The judge in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois ruled that a former Chinese leader may not enjoy immunity under the condition that his conduct can be proven to be part of his personal behavior. The judge ruled that the lawsuit statement did not fully explain how Jiang's actions towards Falun Gong during his time as head of state were part of his personal conduct. The ruling by the judge seems to be based on a simple misunderstanding. A judge living in a democratic country might not understand the basic facts in mainland China. That is, how can this large scale persecution last for four years in China, and still continue if it is not from the dictator's personal will and the reinforcement from his power? Every person in China, including old ladies and young children know that Jiang Zemin, as the dictator of China, has single-handedly initiated this persecution towards Falun Gong. If you say Jiang did not do this personally, it is similar to saying Hitler did not initiate the genocide towards the Jews.
Although the judge has such a simple misunderstanding about Jiang, and the dictator's role, the judge did not rule that Jiang Zemin and the "610 Office" are innocent. The persecution toward Falun Gong is a severe crime, this is an indisputable fact. Although the media in China criticized the lawsuit against Jiang, they did not dare to face the charges Falun Gong practitioners filed. Jiang and the "610 Office" terrorist system he controls have, on a large scale, had Falun Dafa practitioners' homes searched, their money extorted, had them abducted, brainwashed, tortured and has had many Falun Dafa practitioners killed in the past four years. At least 780 Falun Dafa practitioners have died as the result of this persecution, and this is an undeniable truth.
The media in China once again used the "China-America relationship," "the image of the country," "sovereignty," etc. to mislead the public. Everyone knows that the "China-America relationship" is not the same thing as the relationship between America and Jiang Zemin. The person who has damaged the "image of the country" is Jiang and his "610" henchmen who have killed innocent people. Jiang and his regime have hijacked the machinery of the State. They do nothing in a legal manner, and thus, they do not have the right to escape the punishment by law, even if they hide behind "the sovereignty of the state," especially in today's times in which the "human rights are above sovereignty" principle has been deeply rooted in people' s hearts.
The efforts of Falun Dafa practitioners in this lawsuit against Jiang have had deep and far-reaching effects. During this process, practitioners have widely exposed the crimes of Jiang and his regime to the international community. News about the lawsuit against Jiang has been spreading in mainland China, especially this time, the state-controlled media has told the whole nation about this case.
This case is far from over. Jiang will be brought to justice, without a doubt. The plaintiffs have decided to take further legal action, which may include further filing and the submission of edited filing documents. It is a fact that this lawsuit represents the idea that heads of state cannot commit genocide and torture using their position yet escape punishment. An overwhelming amount of evidence will bear out the fact that from both a legal perspective and a public opinion perspective, Jiang Zemin absolutely cannot escape being held accountable for initiating and executing the suppression and persecution of Falun Gong.
Mr. Morton Sklar is a well-known American human rights lawyer, a law professor and American branch executive president of the World Organization Against Torture (WOAT). He has assisted Falun Gong practitioners, enabling them to successfully sue the Mayor of Beijing, Liu Qi, and the Deputy Provincial Head of Liaoning Province, Xia De Wen.
Professor Sklar expressed that the lawsuit filed against Jiang can be viewed as a part of the action of world human rights organizations. The significance of the lawsuit is that a foundation is being built worldwide to mandate that officials who severely violate human rights through committing acts of torture and genocide be held accountable in both criminal and civil actions taken against them.
One important reason that Jiang wanted to keep his position as chairman at the 16th Party Congress, was because his fear of a lawsuit like this. He hoped that he could escape justice with "immunity." Jiang is no longer a head of state and cannot claim such immunity. Furthermore, the Judge in the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of Illinois believes that a former head of state cannot be protected by immunity, under the condition that his conduct is proven to be personal conduct. The lawsuit against Jiang in the U.S. will continue, because many facts have proven that persecuting Falun Gong is a result of his personal vendetta. At the same time, the lawsuits against Jiang in many other countries are in progress. Jiang and his henchmen will be brought to justice, sooner or later. We deeply believe that one day, they will be brought to trial in mainland China.
Falun Dafa practitioners in each country and their supporters will continue to push through lawsuits against Jiang, and meanwhile, better clarify the truth to the international community and people in mainland China. Jiang will be brought to the court of morality and conscience, and he will be put on trial by every person with a sense of justice. Jiang must be found guilty by the legal courts, the court of people's hearts, and the court of morality for his crimes.
Category: Karma & Virtue