Falun Gong Marks 10-Yrs of Ban by the PRC

[TruthSeeker]

Falun Gong rallies in US on anniversary

AFP: Falun Gong rallies in US on anniversary
(AFP) – 3 days ago

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of supporters of the Falun Gong spiritual movement have rallied in Washington ahead of the 10th anniversary of its ban by China, with a special push to free a prominent rights lawyer.

China banned Falun Gong, whose Buddhist-inspired teachings focus on exercises, on July 20, 1999. Beijing has since branded Falun Gong an "evil cult" and sometimes brutally suppressed its practitioners.

Hundreds of Falun Gong members wearing yellow shirts converged outside of the US Capitol, holding banners demanding that China "end the persecution" and handing out fliers to passers-by.

"One must wonder exactly why Falun Gong, a serene movement based upon traditional Chinese breathing exercises and meditation, has drawn such a frenzied response," Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen told the rally.

"The answer, my friends, is all too simple," the Republican said. "Falun Gong stands for the principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. These principles represent the very antithesis of what the Communist Party of China stands for -- lies, brutality and intolerance."

Dana Rohrabacher, another outspoken critic of Beijing in the US Congress, pledged that "we will not forget the persecution and the prosecution of the Falun Gong.

"You have remained courageous. You have gained the attention of good people throughout the world. That is what will change the world -- not violence, but open hands and open hearts," he said.

Falun Gong supporters pleaded for the release of Gao Zhisheng, a lawyer who has been tipped for the Nobel Peace Prize who defended the spiritual movement, underground Christians and other unpopular groups.

Chinese authorities took him away on February 4 and he has not been heard from since, colleagues say.

His wife Geng He, who defected with their children to the United States in March, told the rally that Gao felt obliged to fight persecution that has gone "beyond anyone's imagination."

"Gao has said that to end this nation's sufferings, we need people with high morals. Falun Gong practitioners have done so, and we must also do our part," she said.

ChinaAid, a Christian rights group, said it delivered petitions with 100,000 signatures seeking Gao's release to the Chinese embassy in Washington and the US State Department.

 

[TruthSeeker]

China's Falun Gong crackdown: 'The persecution is almost underground'


China's Falun Gong crackdown: 'The persecution is almost underground' | World news | guardian.co.uk

The men from China's national security brigades came for Natalie Qiao's parents at 10pm on 8 June. Five young men in plain clothes bundled the elderly couple into an unmarked car.

The crime of Qiao Yongfang and his wife, Yan Dongfei, both aged 60 and residents of Huhot City, in Inner Mongolia, was to be practitioners of the banned Falun Gong religion, which has tens of millions of followers in China.

Ten years after the prohibition on Falun Gong was ordered by China's former leader Jiang Zemin, commencing a brutal crackdown on its adherents, believers such as Qiao's parents are still being pursued, despite international protests.

The only change is that the persecution is now more secretive.

Amid new protests in Britain, including a march today from the Chinese embassy to Chinatown to mark the anniversary of the Falun Gong crackdown, Natalie Qiao and a former detainee have described the continuing abuse, providing a detailed insight into how those deemed enemies of the Chinese state are dealt with.

Anyone practising religious observance outside officially sanctioned channels, including members of unofficial Catholic churches or Protestant house churches, risk detention. Other groups at risk include Muslims in the Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region, especially those branded as religious extremists by the authorities.

Falun Gong has been treated most harshly. Supporters outside China claim 2,000 have died in custody since 1999, and the UN alleges that the group's members feature disproportionately among those who have suffered torture and abuse. It is this that Qiao – who will hand in a petition to Downing Street on Monday – fears most.

"They took my parents after dark. They don't want people to know. The persecution is almost underground," said the 35-year old purchaser, who lives in Watford. "I got a call from one of the members of my family in China. They had tried to call my parents' phone and a strange man had answered and demanded to know who was calling. They do that to find other members of Falun Gong.

"My uncle then went to my parents' house. The building attendant didn't want to talk but finally he said what happened. But even then the local police would not admit they had been arrested. They said they didn't know. In the end we heard it through a friend in the police who told us they had been taken to detention centre number one.

"We are not allowed to talk to them. When we rang the National Security Brigades they said my parents were not co-operating. They have not written a letter denouncing Falun Gong or given names of other practitioners. My extended family at first refused to believe what was going on. They said the persecution of the Falun Gong was over. But it's happening every day."

Natalie is terrified about what is happening to her parents, amid well-attested reports of the serious maltreatment of Falun Gong detainees who refuse to renounce their beliefs, as well as darker, unproven allegations that some who have died in custody have had their organs harvested.

Annie Yang, an antiques dealer who fled to London after being released from a re-education through labour camp, knows at first hand what Qiao's parents are going through.

"I was arrested in March 2005," she said. "I was living in Beijing and was a practitioner of Falun Gong. They came for me in the evening. I'm a single mother and I was with my 16-year old son. Only one of the men was wearing a uniform. None of them showed ID.

"I told them I was a mother. But they took me and left my son on his own. They took me to a detention centre where they kept me for 40 days without access to a lawyer. At the end they said I had been sentenced to two years in a labour camp for being a member of Falun Gong."

According to Yang, it was commonplace until 2004 to use physical violence to make members recant and give up more names. She was subjected to a more insidious abuse.

"The camp made gloves. But I was not allowed to work or have enough food or water until I renounced my beliefs. I was made to sit on a stool for 21 to 22 hours a day. I had to keep my back straight and my knees and feet pressed together with my hands flat on my thighs. I was told I was not allowed to close my eyes. If I did, they would swear at me.

"If I wanted a drink I had to say: 'Please class leader...' and before I put down my cup: 'Please class leader...'. The only food I was allowed was half a 30g Chinese bun. It was hard and sour. No vegetables. I became so thin. It was so hot too. In the 40s. And they would not give me enough water.

"After three months I could not take it. I was nearly mad. I renounced. They force you to. They say if you don't we will extend your sentence. Against my conscience I gave them names too."

The persecution of Falun Gong is all the more peculiar for the innocuousness of the religion. Without any real formal leadership structure and no role of membership as such, adherents of the religion, founded by Li Hongzhi in 1992, follow so-called traditional qigong practices for both spiritual and physical development as detailed in Falun Gong's literature. Without formal rituals of worship, its central tenets are truthfulness, forbearance and compassion.

Falun Gong, which emerged in large part out of ideas prevalent in some aspects of alternative Chinese medicine, came to be regarded as a threat to the Chinese state after 10,000 of its practitioners staged a silent protest at the Communist party's headquarters in April 1999 to complain about attacks on its members, a move that led to its banning two months later. Accused of being an unregistered religion, spreading superstition and defrauding people, official organisations – crucially – attempted to suggest it was a politically motivated organisation, suggesting the real motive for the crackdown: the perceived threat it posed to the Communist party by its massive appeal.

Amnesty International's UK director, Kate Allen, who has been following Qiao's case, said: "This is a heartbreaking story – Natalie's parents were due to visit the UK to see their grandchildren at the end of the month. Now instead of preparing for a family visit, Natalie is worrying about their safety in a Chinese detention centre.

"Nobody should be locked up for their peaceful religious beliefs. Yan Dongfei and Qiao Yongfang should be released immediately and unconditionally, unless the Chinese authorities are going to charge them with an internationally recognised crime and give them a fair trial."

 

[applesauce]

the falun gong people are ridiculous, on the main street here in my city they are out there every day giving out newpaper and telling everyone how bad the chinese government is to the point of me wanting to just yell "lady shut the @$@# up!" half of what they say are plain lies which is the infuriating part. but the fun part is there is also a group of people against them tell everyone about their lies and stuff

on a side note what "peaceful religious beliefs" are they spilling when they are calling for overthrowing the government and disbanding the ccp, just some stuff i heard them say

 

[EjazR]

the falun gong people are ridiculous, on the main street here in my city they are out there every day giving out newpaper and telling everyone how bad the chinese government is to the point of me wanting to just yell "lady shut the @$@# up!" half of what they say are plain lies which is the infuriating part. but the fun part is there is also a group of people against them tell everyone about their lies and stuff

on a side note what "peaceful religious beliefs" are they spilling when they are calling for overthrowing the government and disbanding the ccp, just some stuff i heard them say

I never understood why religious freedom is still not granted in China. Just allowing Falun Gong, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians e.t.c. to practice their religion freely will go a long way in making these people feel loyal to China and improve Chinese standing on the world forum

 

[grey boy 2]

I never understood why religious freedom is still not granted in China. Just allowing Falun Gong, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians e.t.c. to practice their religion freely will go a long way in making these people feel loyal to China and improve Chinese standing on the world forum

Hi, EjazR ; I always thought religion suppose to preach love not hate.
Please go to have a look at the falun gong web. site.
Try to think if falun gong is a religion in India, and one of
its aim is to overthrow your government, will it be still
aceptable to you?

 

[EjazR]

Hi, EjazR ; I always thought religion suppose to preach love not hate.
Please go to have a look at the falun gong web. site.
Try to think if falun gong is a religion in India, and one of
its aim is to overthrow your government, will it be still
aceptable to you?

Can you direct me to any independent info about this. If there are any anti government people, only THEY should be targeted, not all Falun Gong practioners.

But the same can be said for other religious practices in China. Christians and Muslims can't preach their religion, Buddhist monastries are shutdown or heavily monitored. Freedom of religion should be a cornerstone of any modern society. I know the Communist Party may not agree with this, but I hope you do

 

[applesauce]

Can you direct me to any independent info about this. If there are any anti government people, only THEY should be targeted, not all Falun Gong practioners.

But the same can be said for other religious practices in China. Christians and Muslims can't preach their religion, Buddhist monastries are shutdown or heavily monitored. Freedom of religion should be a cornerstone of any modern society. I know the Communist Party may not agree with this, but I hope you do

its gonna be very hard to find independent info.... the sides are too divided, either falungong is evil or ccp is evil. from my expirence they always called for the fall of the government, not sure if its the cult law but of the people that i've seen they sure dont seen like peaceful practitioners to me. if they were like tai chi they would not have been banned

and about religion, technically its free just that you have to be 18 before formally joining one. i believe they treat it like a drug, say cigarettes you can smoke but only at a certain age, you can manufacture and advertise it but are subject to government regulation to ensure you are not taking advantage of the people. now you may not agree with this, many people dont but that how its done there.

 

[SinoIndusFriendship]

What say 'we' start some 'peaceful' 'religious' 'human rights' groups in Israel, USA, UK, Germany, France, Neatherlands, Spain, Italy, Oz, Canada.

Key words are: 'peaceful', 'religious', 'human rights'.

 

[EjazR]

its gonna be very hard to find independent info.... the sides are too divided, either falungong is evil or ccp is evil. from my expirence they always called for the fall of the government, not sure if its the cult law but of the people that i've seen they sure dont seen like peaceful practitioners to me. if they were like tai chi they would not have been banned

and about religion, technically its free just that you have to be 18 before formally joining one. i believe they treat it like a drug, say cigarettes you can smoke but only at a certain age, you can manufacture and advertise it but are subject to government regulation to ensure you are not taking advantage of the people. now you may not agree with this, many people dont but that how its done there.

Thanks for the info applesauce. I still feel that PRC should change its stand on religion. It has already flipped Maoist policies on its head and opened up its economy similar to a modern day capitalist one, and look at the benefits it has received.

Similarly, allowing full freedom of religion will only improve integration of the Chinese people and stop their alienation. Freedom or religion is an inalienable right.

 

[rubyjackass]

the falun gong people are ridiculous, on the main street here in my city they are out there every day giving out newpaper and telling everyone how bad the chinese government is to the point of me wanting to just yell "lady shut the @$@# up!" half of what they say are plain lies which is the infuriating part. but the fun part is there is also a group of people against them tell everyone about their lies and stuff

on a side note what "peaceful religious beliefs" are they spilling when they are calling for overthrowing the government and disbanding the ccp, just some stuff i heard them say

What exactly is falun gong? Can someone give us some first hand picture of it?

 

[applesauce]

What exactly is falun gong? Can someone give us some first hand picture of it?

falun gong is something that came about when qigong type of practices became popular... think tai chi style of work out. however falung gong also have sets of books which teaches their supposed principles. at first they were tolerated but in time the group which was named a evil cult in china began to become restless and staged protests and whatnot, and of course the government cracked down on them and they have since then focus heavly on publicizing how the prc tortures them and stuff along with very vocal calls for thr fall of the ccp.

in my view they would have been fine had they not choosen to politicize themselves but here we are today, called evil cult by some and peaceful religion by others.

 

[applesauce]

Thanks for the info applesauce. I still feel that PRC should change its stand on religion. It has already flipped Maoist policies on its head and opened up its economy similar to a modern day capitalist one, and look at the benefits it has received.

Similarly, allowing full freedom of religion will only improve integration of the Chinese people and stop their alienation. Freedom or religion is an inalienable right.

your welcome, personally i dont have much of a view on religion in china, im a altheist and all immediate family and friends are too(if you dont count traditions type of things) with that said, if a religion is approved by the government they actually enjoy quite a bit of freedom in china