SF Supervisor Daly Addresses Congress on Chinese Government's Human Rights Abuses

Supervisor Daly Addresses Congress on Chinese Government's Human Rights Abuses

Nursing a sore thumb injured by an SF police officer's torture lock during a civil disobedience at Hastings Law School on Friday, June 7, 2002, District 6 Supervisor Chris Daly flew to Washington D.C. to protest Chinese Human Rights violations against Falun Gong in San Francisco. According to Aides, long before the Hastings brouhaha Daly had planned a trip to Capitol Hill to testify before Congress that the Chinese government and the SF Chinese Diplomatic Consul interfered with his job as San Francisco Supervisor.

The "Friends of Falun Gong USA" website describes Falun Gong , or Falun Dafa, as "a traditional Chinese mind and body practice that, like Buddhism and Taoism, combines meditation, gentle exercise, and moral teachings." "Almost every Chinese park is brimming by the break of dawn with people practicing these arts," states the Falan Dafa site. Practitioners live by Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance. A non-religious technique, it has been recognized in the west for its health benefits. In 10 years it has spread to 40 countries.

Introduced to the public in 1992 in northeastern China by a government clerk, Li Hongzhi, Falun Gong spread rapidly. By 1999 the Chinese government estimated 70 to 100 Chinese practitioners Some speculate that the wide popularity of Falun Gong in China threatens the hegemony of the Chinese government which has accused Falun Gong of being a religious cult and of spreading anthrax. China’s foreign ministry said a letter containing suspicious substances and publicity materials about the group was received by an unnamed US firm in Beijing. The Falun Gong says such allegations are part of a Chinese government smear campaign. Chinese Falun Gong have issued many reports of tortures, all denied by the Chinese Government.

A Reuters report on October 26, 2001, states, "The U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture, British law professor Sir Nigel Rodley, has been seeking to visit China for more than two years, but Beijing had agreed only to a 'friendly' visit, diplomats said. Rights groups questioned whether he would he have access to prisons? "China wanted something more limited." Rights groups have said torture and ill-treatment, despite being outlawed, are common in China.

Supervisor Daly made his concern about Falun Gong Human Rights abuses clear last October 20, 2001 when he spoke in Justin Herman Plaza.

On that day, Lia Sheldon of KPFA 94.1 Radio News reported:

"In San Francisco 10 practitioners of the Falun Gong meditation group ended their 570 mile walk from Los Angeles to Justin Herman Plaza, walking to protest the imprisonment of American doctor Chunyan Teng, (and) to bring attention to the killing, torture and imprisonment of Falun Gong practitioners in China."

"Steve Ispas, a rally organizer and Falun Gong practitioner describes why he thinks that the Chinese government has killed 300 practitioners and arrested over one hundred thousand more since they banned the practice in 1999. 'Underlying their official claims is ' (their fear that) 'it represents a threat to government power. Having 100 million practitioners (with)- a different ideology than the Chinese government may present a threat. If people can think for themselves that is something they are not comfortable with'."

One walker, MingJing Xue who was tortured in China, said, "Jiang Zemin is trying to solidify his tyrannical regime, because he said that Falun Gong is competing in people’s minds with him. She thinks he is perfectly aware that Falun Gong is very good – it has really benefited a lot of people."

KPFA's Sheldon reported, "SF Supervisor Chris Daly was at the rally to congratulate the walkers and has called Falun Gong a non violent and peaceful practice. He agrees that China has been spreading what he calls a campaign of misinformation against Falun Gong and he discusses what San Francisco is trying to do about the gross human rights violations against the group."

Supervisor Daly addressed the crowd. "While on the road, you have probably heard that we have been trying here, in San Francisco to speak out on behalf ...(of) Falun Gong practitioners persecuted by the Chinese government. We have been met with resistance here in San Francisco from the Chinese consulate, and people loyal to the Chinese government, a campaign of misinformation, lies, and trying to prevent good people from telling the truth of what’s happening across the sea. Unfortunately we took a small loss at the San Francisco board of supervisors last week on an 8 to 3 vote against condemning the Chinese government."

In early October 2001, Daly introduced a Board of Supervisors resolution urging the Chinese government to 'end the persecution' of members of Falun Gong, an action which the SF Bay Guardian said "set off a small minefield."

On October 17, 2002, Nina Wu of "The Examiner" reported "Bowing to political pressure, the Board of Supervisors rejected a resolution expressing deep concerns about China's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Sponsoring Supervisor Chris Daly walked out in disgust after the 8-3 vote Monday. "The facts are pretty simple,' he said. 'We're not commending Falun Gong, we're denouncing human rights violations. I was disappointed with a few of my colleagues who ducked doing the right thing and I think they know it.'


Wu wrote, "The bill's rejection may well have resulted from the political weight of Rose Pak, director of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, who organizes a two-week trek to China every year with Mayor Willie Brown. She was the first one at the podium during public comment."

"'This board respects one of the most sophisticated cities in the nation, if not the world,' she said. 'Are you prepared to endorse a group that equates homosexuality with murder?' Pak went on to compare the Falun Gong with cult leaders like David Koresh, the infamous leader of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas'."

According to sources close to Daly, "The Chinese government has interferred in the political process of a Democratic sovereign nation and with a City Supervisor's job by getting their supporters who are pro-mainland China to spend money to do things like hire thugs to intimidate people. It is interference with the political process through hardline tactics that are not uncommon in the communist states, which is how they get what they want. They apply this paradigm here, and get away with it because it's a free country. They enjoy the freedom to pursue their political aims in a Democracy, which is hypocritical because the reverse is not true (in their country)."

"They've learned how to play the Capitalist game in the Western Democracies, and that is, "Money talks." Don't do anything to upset the Chinese Communists because, 'well, we are opening our markets to you'."

In his Tuesday, June 11, 2002 address to Congress, Daly said, "John Dowling, the attorney for a Falun Gong practitioner assaulted in Portsmouth Square, said that the first place the alleged assailants went for help after they were arrested was to Rose Pak's Chinese Chamber of Congress. Dowling has been quoted, 'We see a pattern here, which we will pursue in court, of using people in San Francisco to go against the Falun Gong members who are only practicing their religion as guaranteed by the United States Government.' Dowling continues, 'You wonder why, in a city like San Francisco, it would be a problem to pass a resolution defending the rights of Falun Gong practitioners.'

Daly continued, "The San Francisco Examiner reported, 'Rose Pak is leading a delegation headed by Mayor Willie Brown to China later this month and perhaps might wish to look like a gentle warrior to the powers that be there to cushion her arrival with gold feathers.' The Examiner later reported that after the defeat of my resolution, Mayor Willie Brown received treatment from Chinese President Jiang Zemin more fitting for a foreign head of state than a foreign mayor. According to a Willie Brown interview with the Examiner's Larry Lee, during their meeting the Mayor and President Jiang Zemin shared anecdotes of their respective battles to control their enemies. They spoke of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and also of the Falun Gong."

"Following the defeat of my resolution at the Board of Supervisors, I received a phone call from Consul General Wang Yungxiang seeking to develop 'a new understanding' between us. After reiterating some of his comments about Falun Gong and evil cults, he said that I was misinformed and that I should be his guest in China to see how it 'really is.' Although I declined this invitation, I did tell the Consul General that I would be interested in a less formal dialogue about broader social issues. However, it quickly became clear to me that the Consul General was not able to have this conversation -- he repeated twice that we should 'develop a new understanding.' This, our last conversation, ended when I told him to give me a call when he was 'free to talk'."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I commend you for your commitment to take every action in your power to protect Falun Gong practitioners and local elected officials who stand by their side. Thank you."