(24 Apr 2001)
1. Wide shot Falun Gong practitioners in front of St. Bartholomew's cathedral in Manhattan practicing their exercises
2. Close up woman exercising
3. Medium shot sign "Falun Dafa"
4. Close up woman exercising
5. Tilt up from feet of woman exercising
6. Wide shot people exercising seen through door
7. Wide shot press conference
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Adam Montanaro, Falun Gong: "What we are concerned with is the fact that Falun Gong has been demonised, its practitioners detained, tortured and killed, and its founder declared public enemy number one by (Chinese President) Jiang Zemin in his efforts to use Falun Gong as a pawn to sustain his power base and advance his own political ambitions."
9. Medium shot journalists at briefing
10. Wide shot journalists at briefing
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Adrian Karatnycky, President, Freedom House: "The same types of pressures were brought upon our (U.S.) government and upon these airmen and airwomen that are being brought daily upon the practitioners of Falun Gong. Consider the language. 'Admitting error', 'recantation', 'changing your beliefs', 'changing your behaviour' - these were all demands that were put to the United States government and to our servicemen and servicewomen
12. Close up Amy Lee presented as victim of Chinese police abuse against Falun Gong practitioners
13. Wide shot Amy Lee and translator at podium
14. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin): Amy Lee, claims abuse by Chinese police: "I shouldn't stop practicing just because the government has the wrong policy towards this. So I will continue to practice these beliefs."
15. Medium shot pan between people practicing Falun Gong exercises outside press conference
16. Close up woman exercising
17. Wide shot people exercising
STORYLINE:
Representatives of the Falun Gong movement have claimed China's President, Jiang Zemin, cracked down on the spiritual sect to solidify his power base against "real or imagined enemies" in his own government and outside the country.
They cite new information and documents from a Communist Party source.
Tomorrow (Wednesday 25 April) marks the second anniversary of a massive unauthorized protest by Falun Gong adherents outside the Chinese leadership compound in Beijing.
In a press conference today (Tuesday) in New York, Falun Gong claimed that the ongoing crackdown reflects a power struggle at the highest levels of China's leadership.
Hundreds of people have been jailed in China, with scores tortured to death in detention, since Beijing branded the movement "an evil cult" and banned it in July 1999, human rights groups say.
Beijing fears the movement, which attracted millions of followers in the 1990s, could threaten communist rule, but the group claims it has no political motives.
Falun Gong's central claim at Tuesday's press conference was that Chinese President Jiang Zemin is using the current crackdown in a struggle for political power and to purge suspected opponents.
The group claimed to have testimony from more than one Chinese Communist Party member that supports its claims.
Falun Gong did not release any new documents at today's press briefing.
Much of what they asserted has been the subject of speculation among China experts since the Falun Gong crackdown began two years ago.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
