(Clearwisdom.net) -- On April 9, 2002, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported on the second day of Jiang Zemin's visit to Germany. The following is a translation of an excerpt from RFA's report:
As China's President Jiang Zemin's visit to Germany entered its second day, China's human rights issues and voices requesting the German government to publicly criticize China's human rights record became the only media focus.
Different from past visits of other leaders from China, this time, there was no warm atmosphere, no frequent reports of Jiang's activities, nor was there coverage of economic cooperation between two countries. Instead, and out of people's expectations, Germany's media has given priority to covering China's human rights problems and those who are requesting that German leaders criticize China's human rights record. On Tuesday morning, German President Rau held a welcome ceremony for Jiang. Since Jiang had only one public activity in Berlin, the attention of the media switched to the protests of human rights organizations, particularly the activities held by Falun Gong.
In front of the Prime Minister's office, Ms. Zheng introduced Falun Gong activities in Berlin. Zheng said that many reporters from different media outlets came to take photographs and interview practitioners. All newspapers reported the news about the recent escalated persecution of Falun Gong in China. During Jiang's visit, the media has paid much attention to the activities conducted by human rights groups and the recent human rights situation in China. Falun Gong practitioners also have activities at 3 other places in addition to those in front of the Prime Minister's Office. One is outside the grand Adlon Hotel in central Berlin where Jiang Zemin is staying, another is in front of Bellevue Palace, the German president's official residence, and the third is at a plaza west of Brandenburger Gate. Jiang will pass all these places.
On Tuesday morning, Amnesty International and Germany's Society for Threatened Peoples held press conferences respectively in front of the Prime Minister's Office. The Society for Threatened Peoples announced that they have filed a criminal lawsuit with the Federal Prosecutor in Karlsruhe (Germany) against Chinese President Jiang Zemin on Monday. This organization accuses Jiang of committing bodily harm with intent to kill, grave bodily injuries, abridging personal freedom and rape. Mr. Tilman Zuelch, Secretary General of the GfbV.(Gesellschaft fuer bedrohte Voelker) [ Society for Threatened Peoples] stated that the Chinese authorities' abuse of international anti-torture agreements is consistently carried out and condoned by people in power. Mr. Zuelch also said that it has become clear that individuals can no longer claim immunity or deny responsibility in the international community for crimes committed against people's human rights.
The General Secretary of Amnesty International criticized the drastic increase of death sentences in China. She said that 1,781 people were sentenced to death in the past three months. This number exceeds the total number of death sentences in all other areas of the world.
Almost all human rights organizations in Germany are requesting that German leaders criticize China's human rights record.