International lawyers write to LKY over Falungong persecution

From Singapore Democratic Party site.

August 21, 2006

Lee Kuan Yew
Minister Mentor
Prime Minister’s Office
Orchard Road
Istana Annexe
Singapore 238823

Dear Mr. Lee

We are writing this letter with deep concern and serious indignation for the attitude shown by the government of Singapore towards the peaceful citizens in that country who are exercising their rights of freedom of expression in order to expose the truth about the brutal persecution that he Chinese Communist Party is waging against millions of practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.

It has been confirmed that the government of Singapore has initiated legal proceedings against various individuals for the simple reason that they were distributing pamphlets in a peaceful manner in public places to expose the genocide committed against Falun Gong in China. This decision, which in any democratic state is clearly illegal, has caused great outrage throughout the entire international community, which is especially sensible to the atrocities that are being committed by the Chinese government and which also cannot understand or accept that honorable citizens are being denounced, fined and even deprived of their freedoms by a government such that of Singapore which claims to be democratic and respectful of all fundamental liberties.

For all of the above, international human rights lawyers and the representatives of international associations that investigate the Falun Gong genocide wish to firmly state the following points:

1. We are very surprised and indignant to hear that in Singapore, where a Constitution exists that guarantees the rights and freedom of expression and belief, is adopting decisions that impede the free exercise of those rights and liberties, and which also creates doubts about the existence of a true democratic system in Singapore.

2. Acting this way, the government of Singapore could in essence be collaborating and justifying the strategy designed by the Chinese Communist Party in its efforts to exterminate the peaceful Falun Gong practice, including torture and mass murder.

3. International lawyers who are coordinating these legal cases against Chinese communist leaders in this genocide, will not hesitate to initiate legal actions at the international level against all those individuals or authorities who in any way are direct and indirectly collaborating or are complicit in this genocide by repressive acts such as those that have taken place in Singapore.

4. At the same time, different independent international organizations and associations which defend Human Rights will not remain passive in front of illegitimate acts that violate the very Constitution of Singapore, and the international norms of rights and liberties established by the United Nations, which could be denounced before the Human Rights Commission of the United Nations.

5. We ask the government of Singapore to show true evidence that it is a legitimate democracy and an independent country that is not subject to the requirements of the Chinese government. Therefore we urge the government of Singapore to dismiss the lawsuits filed against those individuals who have been unjustly accused, withdraw all charges and declare complete innocence to those involved.

We will be vigilant and closely follow the decision that your government takes. We trust that this letter helps to rectify these attitudes which without doubt are neither compatible with democracy nor the defense of human rights.

Co-signers:
Guo Guoting, Attorney, China
Terry Stenerson, Attorney, USA
Patrick M. O'Brien, Attorney, USA
Joshua Lanning, Attoney, USA
Stravos Tsakyrakis, Attorney, Greece
Keppy Wong Khai Pun, Attorney, Malaysia
Nik Mohamed Ikhwan, Attorney, Malaysia
Akira Yoshida, Lawyer, Japan
Chin-Nan Gu, Judge, Taiwan
Karen Chen, Attorney, Taiwan
Fran Wang, Attorney, Taiwan
Henry K.M. Chuang, Attorney, Taiwan
Tony Sihdu, Attorney, India

Singapore