(11/19/2004 13:45)

BUENOS AIRES (FDI) - Over thirty Chinese men who appeared to be working with Argentina's Chinese Embassy beat Falun Gong practitioners and tore their banners with knives Tuesday. The beating took place outside the Hilton Hotel where Chinese President Hu Jintao and his delegation were visiting.

Upon arriving in Argentina, witnesses say Hu was clearly seen reading the Chinese banners from his car. The banners did not criticize Hu, but rather called for former president Jiang Zemin and three of his associates to be brought to justice for persecuting Falun Gong in China.

"It seems hard to imagine that Hu didn't know about this incident," says Falun Dafa Information Center Spokesperson Mr. Erping Zhang. "Since Hu took power in November 2002, we've never accused him or targeted him in any way, and only called for an end to this genocide and for those responsible to be brought to justice. Does Hu Jintao want to shoulder the criminal responsibility for this persecution alongside Jiang Zemin--"

Also during Hu's visit, two Chinese Embassy officials pressured the Argentinean presidential office to arrest the Falun Gong practitioners.

Detailed Sequence of Events

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NEWS - Nov. 19, 2004
Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net

Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Practiced in over 50 countries world-wide, Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's Communist leader Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report). Since that time, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it. The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 1,121 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. In October 2001, however, Government officials inside China reported that the actual death toll was well over 1,600. Expert sources now estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.

Source: http://faluninfo.net/displayAnArticle.asp--ID=9054