New Zealanders Jady Chen and Janet Gao were faced with a different kind of violence on the streets of New York when they travelled to the US recently.
The women witnessed violent attacks on Falun Gong practitioners by Chinese nationals linked to the Chinese Consulate and are concerned the same may happen in New Zealand. These attacks, which have occurred daily in New York's borough of Queens, since May 17, have resulted in several practitioners being injured and several mob members being arrested.
A heavy police presence has been noted since large groups of Chinese began harassing Falun Gong practitioners at the local Service Centre for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Queens suburb of Flushing, some 10 kilometres East of Manhattan.
The booth is staffed predominately by Falun Gong practitioners, and organisers regularly distribute literature detailing abuses carried out by the communist authorities in China. The volunteers set the booth up to allow Chinese nationals to quit the communist party.
Physical and verbal abuse have been widely witnessed and reported as the Chinese mobs hurled insults, eggs, and bottles at practitioners.
Chinese Consul General Encourages Violence in New York
The Chinese Consul General in New York City has admitted to inciting the mobs in a recorded conversation obtained by the World Investigation of the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), 25 May.
In the conversation, Consul General Peng Keyu boasts about encouraging the violent attacks in Flushing.
"Well, I went there the day before yesterday, and also three days ago, because we have to be very careful with this kind of thing! Otherwise, people will say the Chinese consulate is behind it, agitating people...we encouraged them secretly!"
Peng Keyu said he "ran other things on the scene" at Flushing. Auckland human rights lawyer, Kerry Gore, said the phone call recording of the Chinese Consul General in New York is "disturbing".
"This kind of activity cannot help diplomatic relations between the United States of America and China. If the American authorities were to conclude that his actions were an abuse of his diplomatic status and/or consular function then I would imagine that he could be expelled from America."
"If the CCP really cares for and respects the lives of Chinese people... it should stop persecuting Falun Gong practitioners and members of other persecuted groups in China, where such persecution has resulted in the deaths of many. Respect for human life means respect for all human life, not just some."
New Zealanders Attacked
The attacks have also extended to reporters and distributors of the Epoch Times newspaper.
Ms Chen and Ms Gao were handing out Chinese Epoch Times newspapers in front of the Flushing library on 23 May, when they saw a Chinese lady being surrounded by a crowd of Chinese nearby. The crowd were yelling and shouting insulting slogans at the Chinese woman, Ms Chen said.
When the crowd discovered Ms Chen and Ms Gao were distributing the Epoch Times, they turned to surround them. Ms Chen said a man suddenly rushed over to her and violently took the newspapers from her hands, tearing them up and stamping on them. She said the man was shouting hate slogans at the time.
"I felt like it I was in China again," Ms Chen said. "The Chinese regime's hatred propaganda against Falun Gong is now in New York. This is a taste of what happens everyday in China. The United States cannot allow the Chinese Consulate to orchestrate crimes in this country. "
Ms Gao said she did not feel scared during the attack. "Those people are just silly," she said, "I think those people are poisoned by the CCP and I think it is totally wrong what they are doing. They should stand on the side of justice, not the Communist Party side."
'Pathetic Cannon Fodder for the CCP'
Senior lecturer at Massey University in Palmerston North, Li Dong said the mob attacks were "desperate efforts by the CCP to silence Falun Gong" and described the attackers as "hooligans" who are "pathetic cannon fodder for the CCP".
"Falun Gong practitioners have become the most valiant human rights fighters among the Chinese. What is more remarkable is that those ordinary Chinese men and women, often frail elderly gentlemen and ladies, alongside their supporters all over the world, have persevered in their heroic struggle for about 10 years, not to be duped nor crushed. They have thus earned the bitter hatred of the CCP leadership."
Mr Li, who was sent death wishes by Chinese students to his phone and email account last month after comments about Chinese students being spoon-fed propaganda by the CCP, suggested that Chinese people try to learn more about the CCP and what China has suffered under its rule.
"Just as the common Chinese saying goes, 'Gou ji tiao qiang' (meaning, 'A cornered dog will leap over a wall' or 'Desperate people will resort to desperate means'), so the CCP consulate in New York used hooligans to abuse and attack Falun Gong practitioners in broad daylight! As if it were in China!"
New Zealand Service Centre's for Quitting the CCP have not been subject to harassment or threats yet, according to volunteer Ming Min, although they intend to talk to local police about protection if the need arises.
The Service Centres operate at Aotea Square on Saturdays and the Avondale Markets on Sundays in Auckland. Ms Ming Min said last Sunday at Avondale, several Chinese students expressed gratitude to have the opportunity to quit the Communist Party.
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