The Chinese embassy in South Africa on Wednesday dismissed allegations that its government was involved in the shooting of a Falun Gong practitioner outside Johannesburg on Monday.
”I have to point out that the Chinese government has nothing to do with the incident,” said Qian Jin, press officer at the Chinese embassy in Pretoria.
David Liang was shot in both feet shortly after his arrival in the country, while driving with a group of supporters to Pretoria to stage protests against visiting Chinese Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and his Minister of Commerce, Bo Xilai.
The group alleges that the two politicians are involved in human rights abuses in China and that part of the reason for its trip was to launch an international lawsuit against the two, because, the group claims, it is not possible in China.
Qian said security for the official visit is provided by the South African government, and that there has been no contact with Falun Gong by the security officials of either South Africa or China.
”Therefore the libel by the injured Falun Gong member that the Chinese government was involved in the incident is absolutely absurd and malicious. It is a purely vicious plot against [the] Chinese government.”
He added that the group is a ”dangerous cult”, which has been banned since 1999.
However, at a press conference on Wednesday, a group of Falun Gong spokespeople, referring to themselves as practitioners, said the shooting is another example of the way the Chinese government persecutes them.
They said more than 900 of the supporters of the movement, which practises the qigong form of exercise, have died at the hands of the government, which is officially atheist, and that the shooting is part of a global campaign against them.
This includes slashing tyres and targeting family members.
”Because South Africa has a high crime rate, they used that to target us,” said Bolette Ebertze.
The group’s Leon Wang said they were fired at by ”four or five” men and when their car was forced to stop with a puncture, ”the men just stopped their car and stared at us”.
”They were armed and could have robbed us, but they didn’t. We believe they were sent by the Chinese vice-president,” Wang said.
”When we first arrived in South Africa, we didn’t have enemies.”
Liang is recovering in Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital.
The police special and violent crimes unit is investigating. — Sapa