Li Peng lawsuit pretrial conference set for Friday Tiananmen Mothers issue statement in support

Led by Ding Zilin, Zhang Xianling and Su Bingxian, a group of 110 June Fourth victims and family members in China has issued a statement entitled, “A Declaration on the U.S. Federal Court’s Acceptance of the Lawsuit Brought by June Fourth Victims Against Li Peng for Crimes Against Humanity.” (Full text below.) The statement underlines the importance of holding Li Peng accountable to international law through a just trial. The statement calls on the international community to support the June Fourth victims in China and their domestic legal action seeking the trial of Li Peng in the People’s Republic. The statement also requests that the United Nations intensify efforts to establish the international criminal court.

The statement comes on the eve of the lawsuit’s pretrial conference with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on October 13, 2000. The purpose of the proceeding is for counsel to meet with the Court to discuss settlement, explore contemplated motions, stipulate facts, narrow issues, arrange a discovery schedule and set a date for trial.

The pretrial conference will be open to the public and members of the press.

TIME: Friday, October 13 at 11:30 am
PLACE: United States Courthouse, Courtroom 618, Foley Square, 40 Centre Street, New York City

[NOTE]: Plaintiffs and representatives from Human Rights in China and the Center for Constitutional Rights will be available for comments following the proceeding.

No cameras will be allowed in court.

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It has been reported that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has accepted the lawsuit brought by Wang Dan, Zhang Liming, Zhou Fengsuo, Xiong Yan, Liu Gang against Li Peng for crimes against humanity, and that judicial proceedings have already begun for the case. As June Fourth victims and family members resident in China, we firmly support this just legal action and specially issue the following statement:

• The 1989 massacre that occurred in Beijing, China was a bloody atrocity committed by the Chinese government against its own citizens and against all humanity. Li Peng was a participant planner and direct implementer of this atrocity. Based on much evidence, Li Peng should be brought to justice in China, and should also be justly tried in accordance with international law.
• As victims and family members of this massacre, we submitted a legal petition to China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate on May 17, 1999, demanding an investigation into Li Peng’s responsibility [for the bloodshed.] However, to date, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate has refused to provide any kind of response. We strongly condemn the Supreme People’s Procuratorate for this despicable conduct which tramples on civil rights and shows scorn for the law. We demand that the procuratorial authorities immediately give a responsible reply. We call on all those who uphold justice in this world to express solidarity and support for our legal appeal, so that we can soon bring to justice Li Peng, the prime culprit of June Fourth.
• We call on the United Nations to: step up efforts to establish the international criminal court, in the spirit of the U.N. Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other related human rights documents; to speed up the acceptance and handling of cases of human rights violations from member states; to bring to justice the personnel of member states who have committed human rights violations, especially those who have committed crimes against humanity.
• We call on the parliaments and leaders of all countries of the world to earnestly carry out their international obligation to safeguard world peace and security, human dignity and justice. We call on them to condemn and put an end to human rights violations and brutal atrocities against humanity.
• We would like to join all the peace-loving mothers, brothers and sisters of the world--in all countries and all regions-- in the common struggle to eliminate from this earth, all the atrocities that destroy and damage humanity.

Signed,

Ding Zilin, Zhang Xianling, Su Bingxian, Zhou Shuzhuang, Li Xuewen, Xu Jue, Yin Min, You Weijie, Huang Jinping, Guo Liying, Zhang Yanqiu, Wu Dingfu, Fang Zheng, Qi Zhiyong, etc.

110 signatories total