NEW YORK—A man arrested Wednesday in Flushing, Queens, says he was mobbed by a large group of people who tried to steal his bag and then frame him for assault.
Bian He Xiang, a health products businessman, said he was walking to the Cathay Bank at around 4 p.m. on March 18, when a woman from an anti-Falun Gong group started to yell and swear at him.
Bian said there were between 12 and 20 people with the woman, Li Hua Hong, calling him a “traitor” and telling him to come over to where they were.
“I ignored them and walked into the bank, while they continued to curse me. Their words were defaming me and defaming Falun Gong. They were attacking me because they think I am a Falun Gong practitioner—although I do not practice Falun Gong,” Bian said through a translator.
Bian recognized some of the pro-communist group as members of the group that attacked Falun Gong practitioners and supporters in the streets of Flushing last year. Some had been arrested and charged for incitement of hatred.
Bian referred to an outbreak of violence last spring and summer in Flushing, in which Falun Gong practitioners were being attacked in downtown Flushing by large groups of well organized pro-communist Chinese.
The violence targeted members of the spiritual practice of Falun Gong, sometimes referred to as Falun Dafa. The practice includes meditation and slow-moving exercises. It also teaches traditional Chinese moral principles, including truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Though initially supported in China, and even practiced by members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it was outlawed by former party head Jiang Zemin in 1999, and has been severely persecuted in China ever since.
There have been over 3,000 reported deaths of Falun Gong practitioners as a result of the CCP’s persecution. Some speculate that evidence of organ harvesting from detained Falun Gong practitioners may eventually reveal a death toll well exceeding tens of thousands.
“I have seen trouble from these people before—oftentimes. I saw them attacking Falun Gong practitioners and when I would speak out in their defense they would curse me.”
Bian said he phoned his friend once he was inside the bank, and asked him to drive down and pick him up. He said he didn’t phone the police, as he was not confident his English was sufficient and was not aware of the Chinese-language police service.
“I called my friend and told him, “I am being rounded up by these thugs.” I called my friend so that I would have a witness in case anything happened—since last year these people had plotted several incidents, so I thought I better have a witness.”
Twenty minutes later, when Bian was ready to leave the bank, he noticed the crowd outside had swelled to approximately 100 people. His friend had informed him he had arrived to pick him up.
“I exited the bank and within two or three steps the crowd closed in and rounded me up,” Bian said. He said Li and a man in a wheelchair grabbed his arm and backpack. The man in the wheelchair subsequently fell out of his chair after not releasing Bian’s bag, he said.
“Li then started to defame me and others joined in. “He is beating people up,” they said. Other curse words were used,” Bian said. He said the crowd continued to follow him down the road.
Police arrived and questioned both Bian and the group of pro-communist supporters. They arrested Bian after the group told them Bian had assaulted the man in the wheelchair.
“I said I had no reason to beat up a man in a wheelchair. I had $1,500 in my bag and did not want to let it go, even when the man in the wheelchair was grabbing it and would not let it go. If I really wanted to attack the man in the wheelchair then he wouldn’t have a chance,” Bian said.
He said he was then handcuffed and put in the police car, taken to the 109th precinct and kept there for three hours. “As I was being arrested, I heard the crowd shout angry words and defamatory slogans about Falun Gong.”
Bian’s attorney faxed witness affidavits to the police station and went to the station. Democratic District Leader Martha Flores-Vazquez also called the station to attest for Bian’s character. Flores-Vasquez serves District 22 in Flushing.
“I feel this was unfair—three witnesses had made an affidavit statement, but they still kept me at the station and charged me … I have to go to court in June now and defend a crime I did not commit.”
Bian was charged with assault.
“I found out later that someone had called the ambulance for the man in the wheelchair—although I saw him early this morning [Thursday], harassing Falun Gong practitioners at the Quit CCP Service Centers in Flushing.
“The police should have known from past cases that those thugs are sneaky. I feel the police need to investigate further.”
“I don’t feel safe here, I feel my freedom has been invaded.”
Bian’s attorney, Ning Ye, said he does not have the “slightest doubt” that the charges against Bian will be dropped.
The police should be more aware of the political landscape in Flushing, Ning Ye said. “The police are expected to work more carefully and prudently—to not be misled.”
He said the U.S. Department of Justice should launch an investigation and criminal prosecution against the group of pro-communists.
Executive director of the Foundation to Support the Quit the CCP Centers, Wenyi Wang, said the man in the wheelchair had visited at least three Quit the CCP sites on Thursday with Li Hua Hong and cursed the volunteers.
“They harassed the volunteers and when they were ignored, they took pictures of them,” Wang said.
Police at the 109th Precinct in Flushing declined to comment on the incident. Calls and emails to the NYPD Police Communications Department were not answered by the time of print.
Bian He Xiang, a health products businessman, said he was walking to the Cathay Bank at around 4 p.m. on March 18, when a woman from an anti-Falun Gong group started to yell and swear at him.
Bian said there were between 12 and 20 people with the woman, Li Hua Hong, calling him a “traitor” and telling him to come over to where they were.
“I ignored them and walked into the bank, while they continued to curse me. Their words were defaming me and defaming Falun Gong. They were attacking me because they think I am a Falun Gong practitioner—although I do not practice Falun Gong,” Bian said through a translator.
Bian recognized some of the pro-communist group as members of the group that attacked Falun Gong practitioners and supporters in the streets of Flushing last year. Some had been arrested and charged for incitement of hatred.
Bian referred to an outbreak of violence last spring and summer in Flushing, in which Falun Gong practitioners were being attacked in downtown Flushing by large groups of well organized pro-communist Chinese.
The violence targeted members of the spiritual practice of Falun Gong, sometimes referred to as Falun Dafa. The practice includes meditation and slow-moving exercises. It also teaches traditional Chinese moral principles, including truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Though initially supported in China, and even practiced by members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it was outlawed by former party head Jiang Zemin in 1999, and has been severely persecuted in China ever since.
There have been over 3,000 reported deaths of Falun Gong practitioners as a result of the CCP’s persecution. Some speculate that evidence of organ harvesting from detained Falun Gong practitioners may eventually reveal a death toll well exceeding tens of thousands.
“I have seen trouble from these people before—oftentimes. I saw them attacking Falun Gong practitioners and when I would speak out in their defense they would curse me.”
Bian said he phoned his friend once he was inside the bank, and asked him to drive down and pick him up. He said he didn’t phone the police, as he was not confident his English was sufficient and was not aware of the Chinese-language police service.
“I called my friend and told him, “I am being rounded up by these thugs.” I called my friend so that I would have a witness in case anything happened—since last year these people had plotted several incidents, so I thought I better have a witness.”
Twenty minutes later, when Bian was ready to leave the bank, he noticed the crowd outside had swelled to approximately 100 people. His friend had informed him he had arrived to pick him up.
“I exited the bank and within two or three steps the crowd closed in and rounded me up,” Bian said. He said Li and a man in a wheelchair grabbed his arm and backpack. The man in the wheelchair subsequently fell out of his chair after not releasing Bian’s bag, he said.
“Li then started to defame me and others joined in. “He is beating people up,” they said. Other curse words were used,” Bian said. He said the crowd continued to follow him down the road.
Police arrived and questioned both Bian and the group of pro-communist supporters. They arrested Bian after the group told them Bian had assaulted the man in the wheelchair.
“I said I had no reason to beat up a man in a wheelchair. I had $1,500 in my bag and did not want to let it go, even when the man in the wheelchair was grabbing it and would not let it go. If I really wanted to attack the man in the wheelchair then he wouldn’t have a chance,” Bian said.
He said he was then handcuffed and put in the police car, taken to the 109th precinct and kept there for three hours. “As I was being arrested, I heard the crowd shout angry words and defamatory slogans about Falun Gong.”
Bian’s attorney faxed witness affidavits to the police station and went to the station. Democratic District Leader Martha Flores-Vazquez also called the station to attest for Bian’s character. Flores-Vasquez serves District 22 in Flushing.
“I feel this was unfair—three witnesses had made an affidavit statement, but they still kept me at the station and charged me … I have to go to court in June now and defend a crime I did not commit.”
Bian was charged with assault.
“I found out later that someone had called the ambulance for the man in the wheelchair—although I saw him early this morning [Thursday], harassing Falun Gong practitioners at the Quit CCP Service Centers in Flushing.
“The police should have known from past cases that those thugs are sneaky. I feel the police need to investigate further.”
“I don’t feel safe here, I feel my freedom has been invaded.”
Bian’s attorney, Ning Ye, said he does not have the “slightest doubt” that the charges against Bian will be dropped.
The police should be more aware of the political landscape in Flushing, Ning Ye said. “The police are expected to work more carefully and prudently—to not be misled.”
He said the U.S. Department of Justice should launch an investigation and criminal prosecution against the group of pro-communists.
Executive director of the Foundation to Support the Quit the CCP Centers, Wenyi Wang, said the man in the wheelchair had visited at least three Quit the CCP sites on Thursday with Li Hua Hong and cursed the volunteers.
“They harassed the volunteers and when they were ignored, they took pictures of them,” Wang said.
Police at the 109th Precinct in Flushing declined to comment on the incident. Calls and emails to the NYPD Police Communications Department were not answered by the time of print.
