The accusation that Falun Gong is a ‘cult’ is fiercely denied by its members. They protest that it is not even a religion, but rather a discipline. Members of Falun Gong are free to follow any faith they choose. The movement is purely about the progression of the individual and maintains that no one should have their beliefs imposed upon them. Li Hongzhi, although the leader of the movement, is not revered as a God, and does not accept donations to Falun Gong or encourage any activity which raises money in its name. There is no hierarchy within Falun Gong; all members are equal and practice together as such.
APRIL 25, 2000
Yet, the government persisted in its persecution of the movement. On April 25, 2000, the anniversary of the first silent protest against the government action towards the Falun Gong, the authorities in Beijing were placed on high alert. They had warned Beijing in the weeks leading up to the anniversary that there would be a showdown with the ‘doomsday cult’ which was still capable of raising the Devil in China.
They had anticipated the movements of the Falun Gong correctly, as members did return to Tiananmen Square to hold another protest. Yet although the government’s fears had been justified, the action they took against these peaceful protesters was not.
In small groups, the Falun Gong protesters would unfurl a banner or would raise their fists in silent solidarity. Some simply sat in a circle to meditate. Plain-clothed policemen launched themselves at the groups, knocking down men, women and children indiscriminately. But throughout the day, as one group was led away by the authorities, another would arrive in its place and continue the protest. So, the day went on, with the police becoming more and more heavy-handed in their treatment of the protesters. Over the course of a very long day, many members of the Falun Gong were injured and many arrested.
Yet in spite of the arrests and the police brutality, the events of that day proved that the government were unable to crush the Falun Gong, who just kept rising up time and time again. That there was no decisive conclusion, or the anticipated ‘showdown’, was seen as a failure for the government.
INTERNATIONAL DISAPPROVAL
The events were seen in a negative light internationally, and the Clinton administration in the US attacked the Chinese government, claiming that they had again violated international human rights. At a time when the US was debating whether to pass a trading deal with China which would allow it the same low-tariff privileges as its other trading partners, the government’s action and the arrest of innocent and peaceful protesters caused the US great concern. China retaliated by accusing America of hypocrisy. The US was fighting its own domestic terrorism, yet criticized China for its crackdown on the Falun Gong.
VICTIMISATION
Several theories have been put forward as to why China so vehemently victimizes the members of the Falun Gong and stamps down on the movement itself. Some claim that the Communist Party fears the Internet and the global access and international membership possibilities with which the Internet can provide the Falun Gong. For a country which had traditionally been so cut-off from the rest of the world, this was a frightening prospect. Also unnerving, the membership numbers of Falun Gong (according to the movement itself yet denied by the government) had exceeded that of the Communist Party, and it was also rumoured that members of the Communist Party had joined the Falun Gong themselves. Perhaps the most contentious feature of the Falun Gong movement was its focus on spirituality. This directly contravened the Chinese government’s atheist principles.
THE FUTURE FOR THE FALUN GONG?
Some believe that although the Falun Gong has won a lot of favour globally, the government will eventually win over and the movement will disintegrate. Currently, it is believed that China has arrested tens of thousands of Falun Gong members, and sent over 5,000 to labour camps without trial. The precedent set by the Falun Gong cannot be destroyed though, and if the movement itself does crumble under the enormous governmental pressure, it is thought that in its place more religious and spiritual movements will rise up as Chinese citizens strive to challenge communist dictates and look for meaning and guidance through the meditation and exercise which the Falun Gong promoted.
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© 2010 Omnipress Limited
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This 2010 edition published by Canary Press
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ISBN: 978-1-907795-29-9
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Contents
Introduction
SECTION ONE: CULT SUICIDES
The Heaven’s Gate UFO Cult
David Koresh
The Order of the Solar Temple
Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments
Reverend Jim Jones
Siberian Satanist Cult
SECTION TWO: CULT KILLINGS
Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo
The Kirtland Killings
Aum Shinrikyo
Luke Woodham
Charles Manson
The LeBarons
The Jombola Cult
The Lafferty Brothers’ Message from God
The Ku Klux Klan
The Thugs of India
Roch Theriault
Francisco Bezerra de Morais
Yahweh Ben Yahweh
SECTION THREE: CAUSE FOR CONCERN?
Twelve Tribes
Falun Gong
Copyright