Hong Kong Lawmakers Praise Spanish Court's Landmark Decision

Dictators cannot evade the judgment of history
By Lin Yi
Dec 23, 2009

HONG KONG–In November, the Spanish National Court accepted charges of genocide and torture against five top-level Chinese Communist Party officials for their role in the persecution of Falun Gong—including ringmasters Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan. This is the first time a court has acknowledged the regime’s persecution of Falun Gong as genocide.

Hong Kong lawmakers are praising the Spanish court’s decision as a truly historic example of upholding justice through the judicial process.

Attorney and chairman of the Democratic Party, Albert Ho, who participated in the efforts to sue Jiang Zemin in Hong Kong in 2007, said the significance lies in the process rather than in the result.

“This ruling–the first to be formally filed–will be archived in history and will be useful for educating the next generation. Because the ruling of the court represents the voice of justice, it will give rise to public condemnation [of the perpetrators]—an important step forward,” he said.

According to Ho, this ruling also represents a breakthrough for the victims. The judicial process will expose and confirm the crimes that have been committed, thus enabling the victims to recover a sense of justice.

“A dictator may feel that he can enjoy life as long as he is in power, but he can’t evade public opinion and the condemnation of history,” Ho said.

Ho also said that he hopes all of mainland China will stand up for justice and work to build a fair and impartial legal system. He said that ultimately, it is China that should put these five defendants on trial—an act that would go hand in hand with China’s movement toward democracy and rule of law.
A Warning to Perpetrators

Leung Kwok-hung, a Hong Kong Legislative Councilmember, said the case serves as a warning to the perpetrators. According to Leung, the possibility that Jiang Zemin and Luo Gan could be brought to trial in Spain is already a remarkable outcome.

“This is a good thing. It demonstrates that upholding the law is the primary concern of a judicial system. If [the five defendants] are guilty of these charges, they should face trial,” Leung said.

“This is the difference between an authoritarian government and a non-authoritarian government, and the difference between an autocratic society and one that is not,” he continued.