Forum Held on Flushing Violence

NEW YORK—A panel of Chinese democracy and community activists spoke at a forum about recent violence against Falun Gong practitioners in Flushing, Queens at the China Democracy Journal office in Flushing on Sunday, Sept. 21.

The panelists shared their insight on the situation and what needs to be done to bring perpetrators to justice. The panel was conducted in Chinese.

Liu Guohua of the Committee for Recalling member Ellen Young and John Liu, a community campaign group that started after State Assemblywoman Young and city Councilmember Liu were found to be in support of pro-Communist individuals who allegedly attacked Falun Gong practitioners in Flushing. They are suspected to have close ties with the Chinese Consul General, Peng Keyu, who was taped bragging in a phone interview about his role in encouraging the events in Flushing. His group and others have been seeking the deportation of Peng.

“If Peng Keyu is expelled, then America’s support for Falun Gong would have escalated to the Federal level,” Liu said. “That would serve to discourage future attacks.”

The physical and verbal attacks in Flushing against Falun Gong practitoners, a spiritual group persecuted under the Chinese Communist Party since 1999, are seen as an extension of the persecution of the group in Mainland China.

Dr. Wang Wenyi, representing the victims of the attacks, calls the incidents “the biggest scandal of the overseas Chinese community.” She urged the Chinese community to take a stand. “It’s a choice between good and evil,” Wang said, recalling a Falun Gong parade in late May during which a group of 700 to 800 pro-Communists surrounded practitioners all along Main Street in Flushing. Police barricades were set up to prevent the crowds from attacking parade participants.

Since May 17, Falun Gong practitioners who man the Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party suddenly came under attack despite having operated for years without incident, suggesting that the pro-CCP groups are organized to stage such attacks. Since then, at least 17 people have been arrested for involvement in physically and verbally attacking Falun Gong practitioners.

The forum on Sunday was part of a series held by the China Democracy Journal, an independent New York-based Chinese-language newspaper.