The 610 Office

(Clearwisdom.net) It is our belief that when the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong in China has been fully revealed, the persecution will come to an end, since the world will simply not be able to tolerate it. That China's communist leaders have gone to such great lengths to hide and cover up their actions since 1999 indicates that they believe this, also.

To this end, the following is one in a special series of articles designed to more comprehensively expose and chronicle the persecution of Falun Gong in China in all of its many facets. We invite our readers to check back with us on a daily basis this month for more articles which document the crimes against humanity committed by the Chinese Communist Party over the past eleven years of persecuting Falun Gong.

Previous articles in this series:
"Overview of the Persecution" (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/1/118272.html)
"Persecution FAQ" (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/2/118294.html)
"Persecution: Timeline"(http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/3/118302.html)
"Persecution: Origins" (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/4/118331.html)
"Persecution: Killings": http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/5/118357.html
"Persecution: Key Individuals": (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/5/118351.html)
"Organ Harvesting": (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/6/118389.html)
"Beijing Olympics and Falun Gong": (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/6/118388.html)
"Physical Torture":(http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/7/118409.html)
"Psychiatric Torture":(http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/7/118410.html)
"Psychological Abuse": (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/8/118438.html)
"Rape and Sexual Assault": (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/8/118428.html)
"Arbitrary Imprisonment and Slavery: (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/9/118464.html)
"Destitution": (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/9/118463.html)
"Implication System:" (http://www.clearwisdom.net/html/articles/2010/7/4/118326.html)

**********

The 610 Office--named after the date of its creation on June 10, 1999--is an extralegal police task force responsible for carrying out the mission of eliminating Falun Gong.

Established by former Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin and announced in a speech to elite cadres a month before Falun Gong was banned, the organization exists outside China's legal framework.

Jiang granted it wide-ranging powers and the authority to use "every means necessary" to wipe out Falun Gong. Operating in an atmosphere of impunity even after Jiang was replaced by Hu Jintao, the 610 Office has become notorious for its regular use of extreme torture.

In his book A China More Just (Broad Press), human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng describes being shocked by the extent of the 610's operations.

"The immoral act that has shaken my soul most is the 610 Office and policeman's regular practice of assaulting women's genitals," Gao wrote after his 2005 investigation. "Of those persecuted, almost every woman's genitals and breasts and every man's private parts have been sexually assaulted in a most vulgar fashion." (full letter)

In addition to torture and sexual abuse, 610 Office agents also administratively sentence the Falun Gong to labor camps and abduct adherents straight from their homes to brainwashing classes.

But its real power lies in its ability to direct the campaign against Falun Gong from behind the scenes. By employing quotas and incentive systems, as well as latching onto the Party's existing and pervasive bureaucracy, the 610 office is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the campaign against the Falun Gong: from controlling the criminal justice system to gathering overseas intelligence through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to infiltrating top Chinese universities.

Though Party officials have externally denied the 610 Office's existence, a broad range of public statements, internal documents, and testimonies refute such claims. Instead, available evidence paints a disturbing picture of a shadowy yet powerful entity that operates like the mafia but is officially sanctioned; an excessively violent organization that permeates Chinese society but is well-known only to those who control it or work for it as well as, of course, those who dread it.

Original article posted at: http://faluninfo.net/print/638/