Official Escapes Her Majesty's Pleasure

As Hu Jintao was enjoying the Queen’s hospitality last week, a key member of his entourage escaped being detained at her Majesty’s pleasure — for crimes against humanity — by virtue of his diplomatic status.

China’s Minister of Commerce, Bo Xilai, has been the subject of legal action around the globe as Falun Gong practitioners seek redress for his involvement in overseeing the murder and torture of Falun Gong practitioners in Liaoning Province.

The application for an arrest warrant was filed at Bow Street Magistrates Court by an elderly Chinese lady, now living in the UK, who was tortured in Liaoning Province China for practising Falun Gong.

Despite acknowledging that witness statements “give detailed evidence of allegations, which could amount to torture,” the magistrate said that Bo was protected by immunity from prosecution by his diplomatic status and declined to issue the warrant.

He cited the precedent of The Democratic Republic of Congo vs. Belgium and dismissed the argument that the Pinochet case set a case for overturning Diplomatic Immunity, remarking, “I am satisfied that the essence of that decision depended upon the fact that Senator Pinochet was no longer a head of state and the decision was based upon the fact that he was a former head of state.”

Peter Jauhal, Chairman of the Falun Gong Association in the UK, commented, “We are obviously extremely disappointed to know he wasn’t brought to justice. But we will continue with our efforts to make sure that any Chinese officials responsible for persecuting Falun Gong who visit the UK in future are held accountable for their despicable deeds.”

A UK Falun Gong Information Centre statement confirmed the widespread persecution in the province under Bo: “Persecution methods in Liaoning Province include detention and mistreatment of healthy practitioners in mental hospitals, shocks from high-voltage of electrocution, sexual abuse of female practitioners, physical torture, severe beating, brainwashing, subjecting family members to collective punishment and use of propaganda to incite hatred against Falun Gong.”

The plaintiff, who for issues of personal safety will remain anonymous, said that almost every female Falun Gong practitioner suffered severe sexual abuse in the Camp.

She recalls once being stripped off and the police inserting an electric baton into her vagina. She said that she was often forced to squat for prolonged periods, and that “if you couldn’t squat any longer and fell down, you would be beaten, kicked, and your hair would be pulled to drag you up”.

Under Bo Xilai there have been over 333 documented deaths in Liaoning province through torture and abuse.

Bo is named in a list of other Communist Party officials, including ex-head of state Jiang Zemin, who are denied access to both the US and Canada under charges of war crimes and genocide. He has also been named among others in lawsuits in Belgium, France, Iceland, Finland, Moldova, Armenia, Spain, Taiwan, Korea and Germany.

A recent statement by the Falun Gong Association asserted that “Overseas Falun Gong practitioners will file civil or criminal lawsuits against all important government or CCP officials who participate in or continue to implement the persecution of Falun Gong.”