Notice to Investigate the Involvement in the Persecution of Falun Gong by Zhang Gaoli, Member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee

Zhang Gaoli (1946- ) is the former secretary of Shandong Provincial CCP Committee, a current member of the CCP Central Politburo Standing Committee and the Vice Premier.

Since July 1999 when Jiang Zemin set off the persecution of Falun Gong, Zhang Gaoli closely followed Jiang's genocidal policy against Falun Gong, which is to “ruin their reputation, bankrupt them financially, and eliminate them physically.” Zhang Gaoli carried out the persecution in Guangdong province, Shenzhen, Shandong province, and Tianjin, causing tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in these areas to be illegally kidnapped, detained, and sentenced. Massive number of Falun Gong practitioners are tortured, resulting in injury, disability and death. Zhang is suspected of committing the Crime of Genocide, the Crime of Torture and Crimes against Humanity.

WOIPFG hereby issue this notice of investigation to thoroughly investigate Zhang's involvement in the persecution of Falun Gong. We call upon those who possess evidence of Zhang Gaoli’s crimes to contact WOIPFG immediately. The following is partial evidence of Zhang Gaoli’s involvement in the persecution.

From 1998 to 2001, during the early years of the persecution, Zhang Gaoli was the deputy secretary of Guangdong Provincial CCP Committee, Secretary of Shenzhen Municipal CCP Committee, and the No. 1 Secretary of CCP Committee at Shenzhen Military District. Zhang actively carried out the persecution policy. In March 2001, Zhang Gaoli organized a “90-day-crackdown” on Falun Gong, mobilizing various governmental agencies to “strike hard on Falun Gong.”

During the peak of the persecution from 2001 to 2007, Zhang was the Deputy Secretary, Secretary of Shandong Provincial CCP Committee, and the Governor of Shandong Province. Through his public appearances and speech, Zhang blatantly attacked Falun Gong and ordered the persecution to be intensified. Shandong province became one of the regions where Falun Gong was most severely persecuted.

On March 21, 2002, as the Governor, Zhang Gaoli gave a speech at the Fifth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress of Shandong Province, labeling the crackdown on Falun Gong the way to solidify political and social stability. On December 8, 2002, while visiting Shandong Provincial Public Security Bureau and the Provincial Bureau for Letters and Visits, Zhang Gaoli emphasized that in the struggle against Falun Gong, one must attack firmly, keep the high pressure, and never let up. On June 4, 2003, during his speech at the Shandong provincial work conference, he put “firmly attacking Falun Gong” as the focus of “creating stable and harmonious social environment”. In January 2004, Shandong Provincial CCP Committee and Provincial Government issued “Decision to build a safe Shandong,” in which attacking Falun Gong was the top priority. Throughout 2004, Zhang Gaoli reiterated the “Decision” 45 times.

As of 2004, based on incomplete statistics, the total number of Falun Gong practitioners persecuted to death was over a hundred in Shandong, ranking the third in China. Taking the prefecture-level city of Weifang for example, during the first ten years of the persecution, the number of practitioners persecuted to death was 95 and the period of 2001-2005 was the peak. This makes Weifang the prefecture-level city with the most number of death in the country. Being the governor of Shandong Province, Zhang Gaoli must be held accountable for the crimes.

From 2007 to 2012, Zhang Gaoli was the Secretary of Tianjin Municipal CCP Committee and continued the persecution of Falun Gong. Prior to the 2008 Olympics, Zhang Gaoli ordered to intensify the “efforts to attack Falun Gong”, aiming at “a complete elimination of Falun Gong” before the Olympics. Zhang instructed the police departments in various districts, counties, villages and towns to warn Falun Gong practitioners one by one in their homes. Zhang personally visited Dagang District to command the harassment and detention of Falun Gong practitioners and forced Falun Gong practitioners and their families to promise not to petition. Tianjin “610 Office” kidnapped numerous Falun Gong practitioners in the name of “Olympics security.”

The CCP’s live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners has been exposed internationally. A number of transplant centers, including Qianfoshan Hospital in Shandong and Tianjin No. 1 Central Hospital, are suspected of live organ harvesting in large numbers. In July 2010, Zhang Gaoli visited Tianjin No.1 Central Hospital and encouraged them to “continue to advance organ transplantation.” For that year alone, the numbers of liver transplants conducted by Tianjin No.1 Central Hospital accounted for 1/3 of the nation’s total.

WOIPFG will continue to investigate the criminal conduct of all institutions, organizations, and individuals involved in the persecution of Falun Gong, to bring such investigations, no matter how long it takes, no matter how far and deep we have to search, to full closure, to exercise fundamental principles of humanity, and to restore and uphold justice in society.

World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong

Tel: 1-347-448-5790; Fax: 1-347-402-1444；
Mailing address: P.O. Box 84, New York, NY 10116, USA
Website: http://www.upholdjustice.org/