Volkskrant (Holland): Falun Gong defies China with a multitude of actions

- from our correspondent Jan van der Putten

March 9, 2002

Despite the persecution of the forbidden movement, Falun Gong keeps defying the Chinese regime. For this it has resorted to new weapons: manifestations of foreign adherents at the Tiananmen Square and [use] of television channels for broadcasting propaganda films.

Friday the police put seven Australian members of Falun Gong, among whom the former Olympic swimmer Jan Becker, on a plane to Singapore. Thursday they were arrested together with two bystanders and a camera man during a blitz manifestation at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, which was heavily guarded because of an annual meeting of the National Public's Congress in the adjacent Great Hall of the People.

Lately there are [fewer] protests of Chinese members of Falun Gong because the risks are too high: jail, labor camp or death. According to the movement more than 350 arrested members have died due to torture or hardships. [...]

For foreign members of Falun Dafa, the official name of the movement, it's less perilous. Their yellow banners are hardly unfurled and their yell "Falun Dafa is good" has only just resounded or the police is already all over them. After some scolding, punches and kicks they are put on the plane the next day. The main goal of the action is thus achieved: publicity.

The moment of the manifestations has been well chosen. The biggest was last month shortly before the visit of the American president Bush to Beijing, when a multinational group of 53 Falun Gong practitioners, among whom a Dutchman, suddenly came in action. The demonstration of two days ago came at a moment that Beijing was sealed off because of the annual ritual in the Great Hall.

The Chinese media keep silent about the protests and concentrate on a new campaign against the [...] meditators, that was forbidden in 1999.

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