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Just Comm 187 VOL 9 NO 7 • 2006 www.erc.org.au A joint publication of Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education & The School of Education, Australian Catholic University The real story of Falun Gong Falun Gong, also known as Beijing on April 25th 1999 Falun Dafa, is a modern form of the requesting that the ancient practice of qigong, a arrested practitioners be “cultivation” practice which aims to released, the ban on Falun “improve the mind and body through Gong books be lifted, and exercise and meditation.”1 It is a harassment at practice peaceful and nonviolent form of sites cease.10 The practice personal belief.2 was officially banned on July 22 1999 in China.11 The basic principles of Falun Gong are truthfulness, benevolance and Falun Gong’s huge forebearance, its followers claim that it following by 1999, meant is free from any political or commercial that “The CCP’s half motivations.3 Introduced to China in century of monopolising 1992 by Mr Li Hongzhi, numbers taking power in China was up the practice were estimated at 70- suddenly in the personal 100 million by 1999.4 After the view of its current leader crackdown, the Chinese government [Jiang Zemin] in grave 12 lowered the estimate to 2 million in danger.” According to David Ownby, Director of the Centre of gentle exercises or holding up banners 2000.5 Today the movement is found in East Asian Studies at the University of violates the right to freedom of sixty countries worldwide.6 Montreal, “China has essentially assembly, as established in the Why is Falun Gong only being reacted out of fear of Falun Gong’s International Covenant on Civil and ability to mobilise its followers.”13 Political Rights.16 persecuted in China? Originally, Falun Gong practitioners How are practitioners being Brainwashing and torture were seen as “benign qigong persecuted? Falun Gong practitioners have been devotees”,7 the practice was very Before the official ban on Falun Gong, imprisoned in labour camps by local popular, attracting all people including the Chinese leadership established the authorities or police, “without charge Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 610 Office (later known as the State or trial” for “re-education through members and officials.8 However, Council Office for the Prevention and labour”. Practitioners have been spiritual elements from traditional Handling of Cults.)14 In July 2002, US coerced into giving up or even publicly culture found in Falun Gong and other Congress passed Concurrent denouncing Falun Gong.17 The United qigong groups soon became targets Resolution No.188, recognising that Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom for crackdown in mid 1990s. These these 610 offices persecute using of religion and belief has expressed crackdowns intensified in 1998 in the “organized brainwashing, torture and concern about reported arrests, context of nationwide “anti- murder” and then take “Official detention, torture, sexual violence, superstition” campaigns.9 In April measures…to conceal all atrocities.”15 denial of medical treatement and death 1999, many were arrested in a of Falun Gong practitioners.18 peaceful appeal in Tianjin against Human Rights Watch says that laws vilifications in a media. With indications have been enacted retrospectively and Organ Harvesting from the local authority that in violation of international criminal practitioners should talk to the central justice standards, and the breaking up Recently, international human rights leadership, over 10 000 responded in of Falun Gong practitioners doing lawyer, David Matas, and former JustComment A publication of The Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education & The Australian Catholic University Canadian Secretary of State, David has been used to justify the crackdown. Kilgour, investigated the allegations A man who… got out of The “self-immolation” of five Chinese that in China Falun Gong practitioners Auschwitz and told the world citizens in Tiananmen Square in January have had their organs removed whilst what was going on there in I 2001 has been highly publicised, alive for use in transplant procedures. believe 1943 and everyone said however the incidence and the They concluded in a July 2006 report “This can’t be happening”…and identities of its participants have since that “there has been and continues of course we all know what was been widely viewed as suspicious23 or 24 today to be large scale organ seizures happening in Auschwitz.21 even staged, while the essential from unwilling Falun Gong David Kilgour. teachings of Falun Gong explicitly forbid practitioners.”19 Their evidence includes violence of any kind.25 admissions from medical officials who Media campaign to influence Today the Chinese government have used Falun Gong organs; continues to call Falun Gong an “evil extremely short waiting times for organ public opinion cult”,26 a claim disputed by transplants in China, despite the Amnesty International has raised independent observers”.27 scarcity of organs around the world; concerns that official campaign of systematic blood testing of public vilification has created a climate In order for fundamental freedoms such practitioners - a prerequisite of organ of hate, which may encourage violence as the right to life, and freedom of donation; family members seeing their against practitioners of Falun Gong.22 religion to be respected, the allegations loved ones’ bodies with surgical Early accusations against Falun Gong about the persecution of Falun Gong incisions; and the confession of a from the Chinese State controlled must be investigated independently surgeon to his wife that he had media ranged from ‘’organising illegal and… “The repression, imprisonment personally removed the corneas from sit-ins’’ and ‘’leaking state secrets’’ to and severe mistreatment of Falun Gong 28 2,000 Falun Gong Practitioners.20 “causing death”, the latter in particular practitioners must stop immediately” 1 Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group “UN Reports op. cit. on China’s Persecution of Falun Gong (2004)” p.v 16 Human Rights Watch (2002) op. cit. Just Action 2 US Congress (July 2002), 107th CONGRESS 2d Session 17 ibid. Concurrent Resolution 188 http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi- • Write a letter to your local member of bin/query/z?c107:H.CON.RES.188.EH: 18 UN Commission on Human Rights (2005), Asma Parliamentarian requesting the Jahangir op. cit., p.17 3 Falun Dafa: A Brief Introduction (n.d.) Falun Dafa [Online] 19 Matas, David and Kilgour, David (2006) op. cit., p.41 government to openly condemn the 4 The New York Times (4/27/99) “In Beijing: A Roar of Silent Protestors” by Seth Faison”...the Government’s estimate of 20 ibid., p.18-35also Summary Document of this Report, persecution of Falun Gong in China, 70 million adherents…” [Online] Smith, Wesley J. (2006) Organs for Sale and to support the recommendations [Online]http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MDkzOTNiMD 5 Amnesty International (2000) People’s Republic of China: czYzRmZTNmODA4OWJkNWZlMDI5NDhlMWI= in the Matas-Kilgour report. The crackdown on Falun Gong and other so called“heretical organizations” p.4 (pdf) [Online] 21 Stewart, John (2006) Australia backs call for investigation into Chinese organ harvesting, 16 August • Write a letter to your local 6 Falun Dafa Information Centre (2002) Sources of [Online]http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s17167 newspaper. Statistical Information [Online] 92.htm 7 Human Rights Watch (2002) Defiance and Response: A 22 Amnesty International (2006) Falun Gong Persecution • Check out “Witnessing History: One Chronology [Online] Fact Sheet [Online] 8 Amnesty International (2000) The crackdown on Falun 23 Washington Post. 4 February 2002. Philip P. Pan. woman’s fight for freedom and Falun Gong … op. cit., p.4 “Human Fire Ignites Chinese Mystery”http://www.irb- Gong” by Jennifer Zeng, a Falun Gong 9 ibid. p.7 cisr.gc.ca/en/research/rir/?action=record.viewrec&gotorec= practitioner who was detained in a 10 Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group (2005) Home 416268 Page [Online];also, Falun Dafa Clearwisdom (2005) Former 24 Media Channel “The Fires This Time: Immolation Or Chinese labour camp before fleeing to Employee of the China Academy of Science: Falun Gong Deception In Beijing?” by Danny Australia. WasSystematically Framed Prior to the “April 25” Appeal Schechterhttp://www.mediachannel.org/views/dissector/fal [Online] ungong2.shtml • Join the Coalition to Investigate the 11 UN Commission on Human Rights (2005) Report of the 25 Beijing is Burning, More lies from the PRC. By Ann Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Noonan Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) AsmaJahangir March 15 http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment021301 either as a supporter, investigator or 12 Matas, David and Kilgour, David (2006) Report into a.shtml Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong 26 Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Australia observer by sending an email to Practicioners inChina, p.8 [Online] (2006) Report on harvesting Falun Gong [email protected] with “subscribe http://investigation.go.saveinter.net/ practitionersorgans groundless: official 28 July [Online] falun.gong” in the “subject”. 13 ibid. 27 Ownby, David in Matas, David and Kilgour, David (2006), op. cit., p.8 14 UN Commission on Human Rights; Report of the • Visit CIPFG website and sign a Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Asma 28 Matas, David and Kilgour, David (2006), op. cit., p.43 Jahangir(E/CN.4/2005/61/Add.1, March 15 2005) petition http://eng.cipfg.org/ 15 US Congress (July 2002), Concurrent Resolution 188 9 Alexandra Ave, Croydon 2132 179 Albert Rd, Strathfield 2135 Phone (02) 9745 9700 Phone (02) 9739 2100 Fax (02) 9745 9770 Fax (02) 02 9739 2105 Email [email protected] Web www.erc.org.au This material is the sole property of the Edmund Rice Centre for Justice & Community Education and the School of Education of the Australian Catholic University.
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