Posted on 04/20/2006 4:43:09 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
A HECKLER from the Falun Gong spiritual movement, who entered White House grounds as a reporter, interrupted a formal arrival ceremony for Chinese President Hu Jintao today, prompting President George W. Bush to apologise to his guest.
After being welcomed by Mr Bush, the Chinese president was just beginning his response when a woman, who had been allowed into the press section, started shouting.
She was escorted away by a uniformed US guard.
"President Hu, your days are numbered. President Bush, make him stop persecuting Falun Gong," the woman yelled.
US officials later identified her as Wang Wenyi, 47, a reporter with The Epoch Times, an English-language publication strongly supportive of the meditation movement that is banned in China.
"This was unfortunate and I'm sorry this happened," Mr Bush told Mr Hu, according to Dennis Wilder, a senior official with the National Security Council.
The Secret Service charged Ms Wang with disorderly conduct under local statutes.
The US Attorney's office was weighing federal charges of "willing intimidation or disruption of a foreign official", said Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren.
Outside the White House, hundreds of yellow-clad Falun Gong disciples, Taiwanese nationalists, and Tibetan youth group members demonstrated against Mr Hu and his government.
The protesters denounced China's human rights record, its missile build-up near Taiwan and its 55-year-long rule over the Himalayan Buddhist region of Tibet.
"Communist Party = Tyranny + Lies", read a yellow banner, carried by one female member of Falun Gong, which China outlawed and brutally crushed in 1999.
"Taiwan is not a part of China," read a placard hoisted by one of around 300 Taiwan activists, who reject China's claim of sovereignty over the island. Tibetans, mostly US-based students, called for independence for their homeland.
A US official said Mr Hu's team was probably offended by the incident.
"The hardliners on Hu's team are going to ask, why did it take so long for us to pick her up. It is not a good thing," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Mr Zahren of the Secret Service said the woman had passed through "all appropriate levels of security", including a metal detector. She was allowed into the event under a temporary press pass.
Falun Gong, which thrives overseas despite being largely stamped out in China, alleges that government persecution of the group includes a vast system of concentration camps, where doctors harvest inmates' organs for transplants.
China has vehemently denied this, but a UN investigator is examining the allegation.
In remarks at Mr Hu's arrival ceremony, Mr Bush did not mention Falun Gong, but he said he would discuss human rights.
He urged Mr Hu to allow "the Chinese people the freedom to assemble, to speak freely and to worship".
Might lose money. We get all our cheap junk from there. :)
How long before somebody suggests that Karl Rove planned the whole thing including the apology?
Just another day in the life of Helen Thomas.
"Drag that woman out of here."
Somebody needs to put this apology to the music of "I'm so sorry, Uncle Albert."
That's disgusting.
Whoa,
President Bush appologized for the interruption. He did not ok anti religious tyrants in China. He has pressed HU on that issue to a degree.
A bit brutal on Bush, ain't we?
Rush has his classic speech translation posted
http://download.premiereradio.net/guest/rushlimb/mp3/042006_Hu_Translation.mp3
"The Secret Service charged Ms Wang with disorderly conduct under local statutes.
He could plead not guilty and demand a trial. That would be quite entertaining, particularly if his lawyer called President Bush as a witness.
An apology is appropriate in international relations. We need their help with North Korea. Everyone needs to stop being so crass.
From Drudge:
The woman began shouting from the top of a camera stand located directly in front of Hu and Bush.
'President Bush, stop him from killing'... 'Stop persecuting the Falun Gong,' she yelled... She also shouted in Chinese, 'President Hu, your days are numbered, No more time for China's ruling party.'
The incident occured right after Bush urged Hu to allow Chinese to 'speak freely'. The woman, had a temporary pass with a big 'T' on it, also unfurled a yellow 'Falun Gong' banner.
The woman was taken away by uniformed secret service officers.
Bush leaned over and whispered to Hu, 'You're okay.' Hu, who had stopped talking briefly, then resumed speaking.
On China TV: As Hu was speaking when yells of protesters became audible, the screen went black. When the feed came back the screen once again went black when woman was again heard. During CNN International's post-speech commentary, at mention of south lawn heckler, the screen also went black again. The CNN feed returned when the incident ended.
"A US official said Mr Hu's team was probably offended by the incident."
I'm sorry that the truth hurts, totalitarian ChiComs. Why didn't GWB make one of his patented remarks about free speech being a great thing, even from hecklers? That's what he said to that goofy fellow in Charlotte a few weeks ago. Why can't he be like Ronald Reagan and call Chinese communism the evil empire it is?
Can we look more feckless in the eyes of China?
This lady was in the press pool. So much for our security.
Because China has way too much economic power. :(
Why did he apologize?
Because he's a decent man and he had a guest in his house. There are places for such protests and many took place to be witnessed by the visitor. But the White House is Bush's home. If you have a guest in your home you don't treat them like that.
Persecution, torture and murder aren't crass?
I hate them too
But we cannot condone this on the white house lawn.
Mr. Bush you weren't elected to apologize for Americans who are acting like Americans.
You would be better served if you would expend more of your Constitutionally given energy telling our arch enemies where to head in rather than apologizing for our Constitutionally given exercise to speak our minds publically without the highest office in the land sucking up to the murdering ChiComs.
I am sure that President Bush or at least his "team" understood there was a good chance of people speaking out about China's human rights violations during the speech.
Sometimes it seems, the more atrocious something is, the harder it is to talk about. Do you suppose that has anything to do with the MSM ignoring this story?
I'm sure people found it very dificult to discuss Hitler. Any situation that makes people uncomfortable takes true spirit to address. This will not be an easy topic to handle with China or the left of our country.
Otherwise, they would already be jumping on the Falun Gong bandwagon.
Apologizing is one thing. It's what mealy mouthed politicians do. But the SS and US Attorney's office charging her with whatever they can come up with?
They want to hang her out to dry for speaking out.
It is the same reason that Bush does not confront Putin on human rights violations.
They keep repeating the mantra
"Russia and china are our friends"
The idea that we should have no dealings with the majority of people on the earth because we disagree with some position their govt takes is simply not realistic.
And other b.s. phrases:
Islam is a religion of peace.
Mexican workers do jobs Americans won't do.
Might lose the slave labor, can't have that.
However, because she got in on press credentials, everyone thought her boorish behavior was just another stunt to draw attention to herself -- for future bookings on the talk show circuit.
Move over, Cindy Sheehan, Ward Churchill. Our next guest is...
It's called diplomacy.
Exactly! Some of these people need to wake up to the reality of today's world.....and the need for at least a primitive form of diplomacy in these situations.
Not only does he apologize to the guy and grovel at his feet, he brings out the fife and drum corps to welcome him. Bush gets more nauseating every day. Sucking up to the brutal dictator of a country that has massive numbers of agents here stealing military and economic intelligence and plotting to destroy us. The last president who was this dumb was Jimmy Carter.
Not if the public demands to know her story.
Someone once told me, "The louder you speak out, the safer you are."
I think that is appropriate here. She could not speak out and get this kind of coverage in a polite letter or meeting with her elected officials.
I want to see an interview of this "suspect" on CNN, FOX, NBC and of course CBS.
As long as they don't ship her back to China, any punishment she receives will seem like Childs play to her. She has knowledge of what real persecution is.
An American slap on the wrist should only enhance her "press credentials." It doesn't seem to harm the Hollywood elite as far as the press are concerned.
Yo! Genuis. Listen up. I RELISH this President every day.
(In case your mystified by my response, "relish" means greatly enjoy.)
Perhaps I should just let you to debate yourself.
When you figure out who you are, get back to me.
If we are for freedom, we are supposed to work to overthrow horrid regimes like the one governing China, not coddle and be polite to them. If GWB couldn't bring himself to praise the free speech of a heckler as he has done in the past, he should have just said nothing about the incident. No apology to the ChiComs, who we should be staring down so they know we mean business. I hope GWB tells those jerks they had better stop helping Iran go nuclear.
Apoligize? Why should President Bush apolgize to the leader of a tyrannical empire that we have free speech? Why didn't President Bush just order a tank to run over the Falun Gong woman?
For a Pastor, you certainly have an interesting perspective on things.
I've been watching your comments on this thread and frankly, you have a very immature view of getting along with others...even those who we deeply disagree with.
Bush has a lot more courage than 90% of all the people in this world. It doesn't take any courage whatsoever to make enemies. It takes enormous courage to make progress.
I agree.
There's a time and a place. It was neither the time, nor the place.
Don't drag Barney and Miss Beazley into this.
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