(Clearwisdom.net) Recently news came from China that many Falun Gong practitioners were tortured to death and more were arrested and tortured. Upon hearing this, Washington DC Falun Gong practitioners held a press conference in front of the Chinese Embassy on February 13 to strongly call on the Chinese government to bring Jiang Zemin and his associates Luo Gan, Liu Jing, and Zhou Yongkang to justice.

Words on banner: Bring Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing, and Zhou Yongkang to justice

At noon on February 13, 2004, Washington DC Falun Gong practitioners held a press conference and unfurled banners on which "Bring Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing and Zhou Yongkang to Justice", "Bring Jiang Zemin into Justice", "Global Public Trial of Jiang Zemin" were written.

The practitioners said in the press statement, "During the recent two weeks, it was reported that 15 Falun Gong practitioners were tortured to death, and many were arrested and tortured to the brink of death. Those tortured to death include Peng Guangju from Qiaozi Village, Qiaozi Town, Huairou District, Beijing; Zhang Bingyang from Acheng Medicine Company Center, Heilongjiang Province; You Zhilan from Xingtai County, Hebei Province; Zhang Youqing from Longxi, Gansu Province; Feng Shichao from Salian, Miyi County, Sichuan Province; Yang Jingyun, former head of Female Division of Worker's Union, Anqing County, Heilongjiang Province; Guo Ruixue from Shandong Province; Na Changjian, a resident of Minfu Village, Wujia Town, Shuangcheng City, Heilongjiang Province; Song Gang, deputy director of Law and Order Office, Yichun City Government, Yichun, Heilongjiang Province; Liu Ming, an employee of Dandong Fiber Plant, Dandong, Liaoning Province; Wang Xi, an employee of Juhua TV Plant, Dandong, Liaoning Province; Song Shijie from Siping City, Liaoning Province; Jin Guanghua from Harbin, Heilongjiang Province; Xu Shuxiang from Changchun, Jilin Province; and Lu Huzhong, an employee in the No. 1 Department Store, Dandong, Liaoning Province.

As of February 12, 2004, it was estimated that at least 884 Falun Gong practitioners were killed as a result of the persecution. Jiang Zemin, Chairman of Chinese Central Military Committee, former General Secretary of Chinese Communist Party and Chinese President; Luo Gan, Member of Chinese Communist Party Standing Committee and Secretary of Chinese Political and Judiciary Committee; Liu Jing, Vice Minister of Ministry of Public Security and Deputy Director of 610 Office [an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and judiciary systems.]; and Zhou Yongkang, Minster of Ministry of Public Security have direct responsibility for the persecution of Falun Gong and are guilty of many atrocious crimes.

The practitioners' actions were consistent with their attitude during Premier Wen's visit, during which the practitioners unfurled banners "Welcome Wen Jiabao" and "Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice". The purpose of the practitioners' activities is to stop the persecution, and these activities target the persons responsible for the persecution, not China or the Chinese government.

Lawsuits against Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing, Zhou Yongkang and others have been filed in many countries for their crimes of genocide and torture. Falun Gong practitioners have filed lawsuits in six countries against Jiang for genocide.

It was learned that many Falun Gong practitioners were recently arrested. During the Chinese New Year, Falun Gong practitioners in Sahe City, Hebei Province broadcasted programs in the local cable TV system to clarify the truth of Falun Gong and expose Jiang and his followers' inhuman persecution. The broadcast had a big impact in the local community. Jiang's regime immediately ordered a large-scale raid of Falun Gong practitioners' homes all over the city. Nine Falun Gong practitioners were arrested. Many practitioners' homes were ransacked, and the local practitioners were placed under surveillance, interrogated and forced to sign documents.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, New Tang Dynasty TV broadcasted an exclusive interview with the founder of Falun Gong, who pointed out that Jiang Zemin persecuted Falun Gong out of personal jealousy and that Jiang needs to be brought to justice. Jiang and his followers cannot justify the persecution. However, they are abusing their power and using the police the public security bureau to illegally arrest practitioners.

At the press conference, Dr. Liu Ningping recounted a Canadian court's ruling on the Pan Xinchun libel case (http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/2/14/45110.html). On February 3, 2004, the Ontario Superior Court in Canada reached a verdict in the libel lawsuit against Pan Xinchun, the Chinese Deputy Consul General in Toronto. The judge ruled in favor of Toronto Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Joel Chipkar. The court ordered Pan Xinchun, who failed to show up in court, to compensate for damage incurred by his libel. At the press conference, a Clearwisdom report was read regarding the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)'s watch list for those persecuting Falun Gong. Jiang Zemin and 45 of his followers are on the list, and an investigation could be immediately opened if anyone on the list enters Canada.

The Falun Gong practitioners strongly called on Chinese government to bring Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing, and Zhou Yongkang to justice and requested the embassy staff not to follow Jiang's regime to persecute Falun Gong.