Canada Miss World: China denying me entry over comments

[bsruzm]

''TORONTO (AP) — Anastasia Lin is an actress who believes her outspoken advocacy of human rights in her native China played a big role in her winning bid in May to become Canada's contestant in the Miss World pageant.

But then the host country for the global beauty pageant was changed from Australia to China, and now the Communist country appears to have singled Lin out among the contestants and is stalling over her visa application. As a result, Canada may not be represented at all in the pageant on Dec. 19 in Sanya, China.

Ike Lalji, the chief executive of Miss World Canada, said he assured officials at the pageant's London headquarters that Lin would focus on the competition and not go out of her way to draw attention to her involvement in Falun Gong, a spiritual group outlawed in China.

"She's not going to do anything crazy over there that's going to upset the government of China," he said. "Our whole approach is to do it peacefully. If anything is going to happen, it's going to happen in a very civilized way."


However, as a vocal supporter of Falun Gong, Lin is almost certain to be denied entry into China, with no formal reason provided.

China outlawed Falun Gong as an "evil cult" in 1999 and allows no public discussion of the movement or alleged human rights abuses connected with its suppression. Chinese law allows for the arrest and imprisonment of anyone suspected of supporting or propagating religious movements not officially approved by the state.

The spiritual and mediation group attracted millions of adherents before being outlawed in 1999 by China's government as a threat to social stability. Followers say China's crackdown has cost the lives of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners. Beijing denies that.


Lin, 25, said that if she's allowed to go she'll continue to speak out for Falun Gong.

"I'm in the Miss World contest. I'm not going to do anything irrational, that's non-peaceful," she said. But she pointedly added, "I am going to speak my mind, that's for sure."


"I'm going back to China for the Chinese people," Lin said. "I want them to have hope and see that someone else outside is fighting for their freedom. I guess that's what they are most afraid of."

Lin, who moved to Canada when she was 13, has been anything but shy about her beliefs. Two months after winning the Canadian pageant, she testified at a U.S. congressional hearing about religious persecution in China. She also plays an imprisoned Falun Gong practitioner in an upcoming Canadian movie, "The Bleeding Edge."

Messages left at the Chinese Embassy in Canada were not returned. A Foreign Ministry spokesman in Beijing was asked Tuesday whether he had any updates on allegations that China was denying Miss Canada access to the event, and declined to comment. "Currently, I have no information to give you," spokesman Hong Lei said.

Lin said her father in China has already come under pressure from authorities there. She said he was proud of her becoming Miss World Canada but soon urged her to stop her human rights advocacy or he would have to sever contact with her. Canada's government has voiced concern about alleged harassment of her family in China.

Lin said she hasn't received a letter she needs for the visa from the host city's government, and that all the other contestants received them on Oct. 30. "I'm the only person that I know of who hasn't received it."

Lalji, the Canadian pageant chief, said Canada won't send the first runner-up to China if Lin doesn't get a visa because it would be too late, noting training is scheduled to start on Nov. 21. He said Lin could be a few days late, however.

Miss World confirmed the pageant has also not received a letter from the Chinese government for Lin. Its legal department said in a statement the pageant will go on if Lin is not granted a visa.

"We do not have any control over who is issued a visa," the statement said. "If we cancel or move the show each time a visa was not granted for a contestant then it would be impossible to plan the event."


Francois Lasalle, a spokeswoman for Canada's Foreign Affairs department, said the ministry cannot comment on China's visa decisions, adding that the promotion of human rights remains a priority in its relationship with China.

Lin believes she won the Canadian pageant in large part because of her activism.


"The judges were resonating with my message that I tried to do this for the people who can't speak up for themselves," she said.

Lalji granted that "maybe a small part" of why she won was her stance on human rights but noted there are 12 competitions and different judges for each competition.

"The judges didn't just choose her just because of her cause," he said. "She basically did well on everything."

Associated Press writer Christopher Bodeen and news assistant Dong Tongjian in Beijing and writer Matthew Pennington in Washington and contributed to this report.'' Yahoo news

 

[Abacin]

She is a FLG. Most of her works are related to FLG. It is an easy way to gain success in the West by defaming China, but it has a price. Especially with what happened in Paris and those terror attacks in Xinjiang, time for China to get tough on religious fundamentalists under the cover of human rights, whether it is a FLG, or Islam, or Tibet Buddhism.

 

[Ragnar]

Very cute girl..

 

[bsruzm]

time for China to get tough on religious fundamentalists under the cover of human rights, whether it is a FLG, or Islam, or Tibet Buddhism.

I don't think that's how China can solve it's problems.

 

[Aepsilons]

The beautiful Ms. Lin can always visit Japan. She is quite the radiant flower, Must say.

Wo ai nee....hehehe!

 

[Abacin]

I don't think that's how China can solve it's problems.

China has been secular society for more than 2000 years. There has been many similar religious challenges similar to FLG, Tibet Buddhism or Islam. History has proved that tough policies are the way to solve these challenges. China was close to solve these problems by Cultural Revolution. Naive leaders like Hu Yaobang built tens of thousands of mosques and temples to show his open-mind and was taken advantage by Turkey, Japan and the West.

Even by Islam, Islam countries such as Turkey are struggling to establish secular societies. The west has forgotten how hard their ancestors fight to go out of the dark medieval religious age and is getting what they deserve.

Soon or later, the west will have to know that religious fundamentalists have no human rights.

 

[Jlaw]

China did her a favour because it would have just been a waste of her sponsor's money by attending the politicize World pageant. She would have lost to a white skinned Indian anyway.

 

[Economic superpower]

Ban her and if she enters illegally, arrest her and sentence her to death.

 

[Nilgiri]

Yep lets put these guys (and gals!) on the same level as Islamic extremists and religious fundamentalists:

Falun Gong - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Typical over-reaction by Orwellian PRC to a Qigong group that they couldn't micromanage and control (and to top it off was expanding at an "alarming" rate). The fact the CCP gave them much support early on (hoping they would remain firmly under its thumb and guidance), and only turned against them in the mid 90s....goes to show the fear of the CCP when anything becomes (in their eyes) out of their control with a decentralised power structure....then CCP has to keep saving face on the brutal decisions they make....so FLG is an easy target for that.

Power to the Falun Gong to keep resisting China and to keep expanding worldwide. One day CCP will no longer exist in its current draconian form....and China and the world will be better off for it.

@Nihonjin1051

 

[Huan]

"Lin says if not all the contestants can attend, then “China should not be qualified to host this competition and Miss World should move. It’s a matter of principle.”

"She says if China won’t give her a visa, then she will marshal forces with other human rights activists and launch a campaign.


“I’m feeling all of this pressure,” says Lin. “It’s crazy. You’re dealing with a state machine all by yourself.


“But if everybody did it together — if Miss World can take a stand, if the Olympic committee can take a stand — then this will stop. China won’t bully people like this anymore.”
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Instead, why didn't Anastasia Lin just boycott the pageant in China if her principles of freedom is too important to her? When it comes to dealing with a rising China, you cannot have your cake and eat it too. All I see her doing is making one-sided demands and insulting the host (China) of the beauty pageant contest.

@Chinese-Dragon @Economic superpower @Nihonjin1051

 

[bsruzm]

China has been secular society for more than 2000 years. There has been many similar religious challenges similar to FLG, Tibet Buddhism or Islam. History has proved that tough policies are the way to solve these challenges. China was close to solve these problems by Cultural Revolution. Naive leaders like Hu Yaobang built tens of thousands of mosques and temples to show his open-mind and was taken advantage by Turkey, Japan and the West.

Even by Islam, Islam countries such as Turkey are struggling to establish secular societies. The west has forgotten how hard their ancestors fight to go out of the dark medieval religious age and is getting what they deserve.

Soon or later, the west will have to know that religious fundamentalists have no human rights.

Terrorism of course, shouldn't be tolerated but still the rest of these innocent people who practise their religion, are your very own citizens so tough measures for people who simply want to practise their culture and religion freely and without objections, might backfire on China as well. Turkey has no interest in destabilizing China, by the way.

 

[Brainsucker]

Well, she's beautiful.

The problem is, Miss Anastasia Lin forgot that Miss World pageant is a cultural event, not a political campaign. And she wants to use this event for justify her political agenda. To me, it's not the place for anyone to mix a cultural event like Miss World pageant with politic. As politic is dirty and separate people, while an event like Miss World pageant is to unite people.

But well, she's a persona non grata in China. So, China has the right to refuse her entering the country.

 

[ito]

A very few Chinese that is brave enough to go against the CPC diktats. Lack of freedom in China is a fact and she called spade a spade.

Beautiful girl.... Can she be my GF

 

[kurutoga]

LOL, if FLG followers are religion fundamentalists, PKK would be freedom fighters. The problem with Turkey as a culture is prejudice, and failed to realize it.

 

[powastick]

Falun Gong is against modern science, preaches the end of the world, forbids its followers watching TV or being treated in hospital and maintains that diseases do not exist and that ailments are due to sins people commit. They preached that UFOs had arrived on earth; aliens had taken over human bodies, and were trying to annihilate humanity through the control of TV and radio.

The aliens have introduced modern machinery like computers and airplanes…everyone thinks that scientists invent on their own when in fact their inspiration is manipulated by the aliens. In terms of culture and spirit, they already control man…the ultimate purpose is to replace humans. If cloning human beings succeeds, the aliens can officially replace humans.
- Li Hongzhi, Falun Gong founder.

Interview with Li Hongzhi - TIME