Above the Law: Jiang Zemin's Campaign Against Falun Gong

(10/22/2002 22:19)

How Jiang's Personal Crusade Permeates His Foreign Relations Agenda

Now Available: "Jiang Zemin's Personal Crusade," A Special Report from the Falun Dafa Information Center

China Experts Identify Jiang's Ulterior Motives in Falun Gong Persecution

"Originally, many China watchers believed the number of people practicing Falun Gong -- 70-100 million by the Chinese government's own estimate in 1998 -- was viewed as a threat by Communist Party leader, Jiang Zemin. Over the last three years, however, much information has been brought to light suggesting that Jiang's obsession with "eradicating" Falun Gong is more deeply rooted in the personal fears and ambitions of Jiang himself. For Jiang, it is a personal crusade, and one upon which he has banked his entire political career." -- Dr. Yingnian Wu, UCLA

The special report takes an in-depth look at Jiang Zemin's personal motives for engaging China's resources to persecute Falun Gong. [ View Report ]

NEW YORK, October 22, 2002 (Falun Dafa Information Center) -- Some China watchers say it was a personal vendetta -- a reaction to the overwhelming popularity of Falun Gong among the people in China. Others point to the "mass movement" campaign that has engulfed the country, and say it must have been a political maneuver to gain support and allegiance, as the resources of the country are mobilized against a "public enemy" manufactured by the entirely state-run media apparatus.

One thing, however, is clear: The campaign against Falun Gong was the brainchild of Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin. It is his directives that continually escalated the persecution since July 1999, both is scope and severity.

According to a 1998 Chinese government survey, there were between 70-100 million people in China practicing Falun Gong, from farmers to military leaders, from housewives to business leaders.

According to a reliable source from China, by the time the persecution campaign began in July, 1999, all seven members of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo (the seven men who effectively run the country) had family who were practicing Falun Gong.

Why Does Jiang Persecute Falun Gong?

Still, on July 20, 1999, under orders from Jiang Zemin, Falun Gong practice site volunteers across the country were dragged from their beds in the middle of the night and taken into custody, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners were taken into custody over the next several days, and the campaign of persecution against Falun Gong began.

More than three years later, however, Jiang's campaign to "crush Falun Gong in three months" has failed. It has failed despite a widespread, systematic use of torture, arbitrary detention and killings to do the "crushing."

Thus, as grassroots efforts within China continue to reveal more and more of the atrocities that have occurred over the last three years, and as criticism from the international community mounts, the repercussions of this campaign on Jiang's agendas, both domestic and foreign, have become extensive.

From his attempts to stay on as the nation's leader to the abrupt closings of Internet cafes throughout Beijing, from the leveraging of economic ties to the saturation of all state-run media with anti-Falun Gong propaganda, many decisions and initiatives that come down from the top are centered around the Falun Gong issue - all in an effort to hide what the anti-Falun Gong campaign has done to the people, to society and to the country.

The Falun Dafa Information Center has issued an in-depth report detailing Jiang Zemin's directives against Falun Gong and the motivation behind them. The report, entitled, "Jiang Zemin's Personal Crusade" contains four sections:

"Jiang Zemin's Personal Crusade" Special Report Contents: I. Who is Jiang Zemin? II. Why Jiang Zemin Launched the Persecution Against Falun Gong III. The "6-10" Office and Jiang's Disregard for Rule of Law in China IV. Jiang Mobilizes China's Security Apparatus V. Falun Gong Issue Permeates Jiang's Foreign Relations Agenda

Information presented in this report was gathered by a team composed of Falun Dafa Information Center researchers and writers. Some excerpts were taken from reports issued by The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, and The New York Times.

To view the report on-line, visit: http://www.faluninfo.net/specialreports/jiangspersonalcrusade/

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Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture, but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over 50 countries.

With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999, fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it.

The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 505 deaths since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.

(10/22/2002 22:19)

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