Chinese consul general in New York boasts of his involvement in a recorded
telephone conversation
New York City police have arrested at least six members of a pro-Communist
mob which attacked Falun Gong practitioners in the New York suburb of Flushing.
Pro-communist mobs, numbering as many as 600, have been a consistent presence
in intimidating Falun Gong adherents since May 17th. The attacks have frequently
escalated to violence.
The events are believed to have been orchestrated by the Chinese consulate
in New York, as revealed by a telephone recording with the Chinese consul general
in which he boasts of his involvement.
According to the recording and several sources within the Chinese community,
the mob has been instigated by unfounded rumors being spread that Falun Gong
adherents were trying to prevent people from donating to the Sichuan Earthquake
relief efforts.
Mobs of pro-communist protesters continued to berate, threaten, and physically
accost Falun Gong adherents in the predominantly Chinese area of New York City,
the Falun Dafa Information Center reported last Thursday.
Among the victims of the attacks was 57-year-old artist Ms. Wang who was punched
in the chest and pushed to the ground. On May 21st, Edmund Erh, a Falun Gong
adherent who was taking photos of the mob, found himself surrounded, with some
men attempting to strangulate him.
Another victim, Judy Chen also recalled that the mob cursed at her, calling
her a traitor who deserved to die. When she attempted to photograph the scene,
a woman grabbed her camera and beat her.
"She hit my head, grabbed my neck, pulled my hands, and hit me with a
fist…my hand was injured, and my mouth bleeding," says Ms Chen of
the incident. "[The woman] then walked away saying ‘You better be careful,
I will kill you. I want to see your face clearly. I want to kill you.’"
Dozens more Falun Gong adherents have received similar threats, and many have
reported being pummeled with stones, eggs, and plastic beverage containers.
Several hundred pro-communist protesters were present in New York’s Flushing
area over the past weekend, though a strong police presence prompted a change
in their tactics. Rather than gathering in large numbers in one location as
in previous weeks, most roamed the streets in smaller groups of 15-20 people,
surrounding and harassing anyone self-identified as a Falun Gong adherent.
Posting date: 10/June/2008
Original article date: 6/June/2008
Category: World News