PARIS—Radio France Internationale interviewed the spokesperson for Falun Gong in Paris, Mr. Zhang Jianping, during an episode of "Paris Asians" on May 22. A revised transcript of the interview follows.
Reporter: On May 17 Falun Gong practitioners held a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) resignation activity in New York City. They had planned the event well in advance. However, China's state-controlled media reported on the event as follows, "While Chinese-New Yorkers collect donations to aid the Sichuan earthquake, Falun Gong practitioners appeared at the scene to create distractions."
So what happened exactly? Falun Gong spokesperson, Zhang Jianping, was asked to explain the events for us.
Will you please tell us what exactly happened on this date?
Zhang: "Since May 17, there have been hundreds of CCP members provoking Chinese people to use violence against Falun Gong practitioners who are helping out at the New York Service Center for Quitting the CCP.
Falun Gong practitioners have been holding activities within the vicinity of the CCP Resignation Center for a long time now. Whenever the number of resignations reaches a milestone, such as 35 million people, we hold an activity. However, the Chinese TV stations completely disregarded this fact and report that Falun Gong practitioners were there to cause distractions for people raising funds for the Sichuan earthquake.
Our understanding was that no disaster relief donation activities were expected on that day. However, during the reports the Chinese TV stations simply cut out some scenes from the resignation activity and used that to argue against Falun Gong, saying that the practitioners were disturbing the fundraising activity.
There are plenty of pictures and reports on the Internet that show the Falun Gong actions. In fact, agents of the CCP were hostile towards Falun Gong practitioners, tearing up their flyers, and openly beating them. The CCP agents were violating human rights despite the fact that they were in a democratic society.
Police officers arrested the most physical troublemakers. I believe that the injustices suffered by Falun Gong practitioners will be exposed. We have the evidence, and recently, eyewitnesses have been coming forward, telling us that many of the international student organizations are used by the CCP to extend its influence abroad. These organizations are controlled by the CCP.
It is clear that the violence occurred under the CCP's orders. All the activities Falun Gong practitioners have held, including the CCP resignation booth, were carried out under permits. Recently, spokespersons at the resignation booths have expressed their greatest sympathy and concern for the Sichuan earthquake victims. The CCP TV did not report any of these scenes.
So why do Falun Gong practitioners encourage Chinese citizens to resign from the CCP, a regime that persecutes and massacres its own people? Under many national and international laws, including China's own constitution, the CCP is considered tyrannical, and is committing serious crimes.
On July 20, 1999, Jiang Zemin began persecuting Falun Gong in China. Since then, the deaths of over 3000 practitioners have been confirmed. However, sources from China have revealed that the number of victims actually exceeds 10,000.
Facing this violence, Falun Gong practitioners have used peaceful appeals to protest the persecution to the Chinese authorities. These practitioners are good law-abiding people. Nevertheless, the persecution continues.
In November 2004, The Epoch Times published the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. This book revealed the corruption and the countless crimes committed by the CCP ever since the party's establishment.
The goal of the publication was to show everyone the facts about the true nature of the CCP. People must see clearly what kind of a party is currently governing China. The CCP does not represent China, nor does it represent Chinese citizens."
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