China's "Blacklist" Draws Attention in World's Airports, Raises Alarming Questions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 14, 2002 [ http://www.faluninfo.net/
] NEW YORK, June 14, 2002 (Falun Dafa Information Center) -
Dozens of individuals around the world were surprised this week to find that
their travel plans to Iceland to take part in a peaceful appeal had been
cancelled - by the Chinese communist regime. Arriving at the gate to board flights on IcelandAir in cities
throughout Europe and North America, many were told that their names were on
"the black list" because they practice Falun Gong. According to a June
8 report in Iceland's The Visir, this list - which has not been made
public - was compiled by the Chinese government and supplied to Icelandic
officials long before President Jiang Zemin's scheduled arrival. The list is known to identify both Chinese nationals as well
as citizens of several Western democratic countries. What startled the travelers this week, who include citizens
of the United States, Canada, the UK, France, Sweden, Germany, Hong Kong,
Singapore, Japan, and Australia, was that they were on such a list to begin
with. Many did not have their names listed as volunteers on Falun Gong
websites or in other materials that would identify them as practitioners of the
discipline. Yet, somebody had identified them, and done so apparently from
within the borders of Western democratic countries. China's Illicit Overseas Operations There is significant evidence that China's leadership has
long held a keen interest in profiling and monitoring individuals outside China
who practice Falun Gong. In May, 2001, Hong Kong officials first denied, then admitted
to employing a "blacklist" to block entry of such persons during Jiang
Zemin's visit. In the last two years, many cases of Chinese consulates denying
passport renewals to Chinese nationals residing overseas and practicing Falun
Gong have surfaced, such as in the US, Canada, and the UK. In February, 2002, classified documents smuggled out of China
and authenticated by renowned China expert Su Xiaokang revealed orders from
China's leadership that, "We should focus on building up data banks and
further fulfill and complete the intelligence management systems on
"Falungong"... and on religious organizations abroad that infiltrate
[China], and bring the function of the systems to full display. We should set up
intelligence and data portfolios... and constantly fulfill and complete these
portfolios to make sure the data is accurate and updated." These directives
apparently follow orders from China's Jiang to "strengthen the campaign
overseas against those foreign forces, collect more information, and prevent
protests" as reported last year by the Falun Dafa Information Center. And in recent months such efforts by Chinese overseas agents
have prompted legal action accusing China's ministries, consulates and embassies
of "engaging in a pattern of criminal acts and interfering with the right
to practice their spiritual beliefs." Early signs of China's overseas intelligence operations
appeared as early as the first week following Jiang's ban on Falun Gong in late
July of 1999. At that time the apartment of New York Falun Gong spokesperson
Gail Rachlin was forcibly broken into and her address book, filled with contact
information of Falun Gong practitioners, was taken, but nothing else. Questions Arise, Patterns Emerge Yesterday, as reports came in from more and more Falun Gong
practitioners stranded at airports in Boston, New York, Paris, London,
Stockholm, Copenhagen, etc., some common questions arose. "Was your name on the list?" many whose tickets
were cancelled asked. And "How did they know?" Practitioners of a peaceful spiritual discipline that has no
membership, charges no money, and has no organizational structure are
discovering that someone has been snooping. And not just snooping into the
readily available list of volunteers on Falun Gong websites or flyers, but deep
into the private lives of citizens in many countries and many backgrounds. The
names of Falun Gong practitioners who quietly practice Falun Gong in the privacy
of their own homes or in their local parks appeared on the lists as well. "The very existence of such a list raises some very
serious questions," commented Gail Rachlin, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa
Information Center. "Why is such a list maintained and who has the ability
to maintain it? What did it take to compile such a list, and how many people are
really listed? Is it limited to Falun Gong practitioners, or does it include
other people of faith? Who is excluded... who is safe?" "If Jiang Zemin can pressure a long-standing democracy
such as Iceland to employ his own 'blacklist' to deny basic freedoms in airports
and cities throughout the world, where will this stop?" asked Lili Xu, a
university professor in New York City who was recently barred from a flight to
Iceland. "If my name is on the 'blacklist' and I travel to China, will I,
too, be interrogated, imprisoned, tortured, and killed? We've seen this happen
to a number of China scholars and dissidents in recent years in addition to
Falun Gong practitioners. This blacklisting tactic is extremely dangerous, and
it's hard to see why it is being tolerated, especially here in Western
society." Through Persecution of Falun Gong, Icelandic People Recognize
Threat to Democracy and Basic Freedoms Iceland has become the stage where Jiang's blacklist and the
officials who wield it have come under scrutiny. The Icelandic people, shocked to see their own government
apparently buckle to pressure from the visiting Chinese leader, are voicing
their distaste through a number of impassioned public protests. They have
organized their own public demonstration during Jiang's visit, as one Icelander
describes, "not [only] to support Falun Gong, but to defend our own
democracy from the world's largest totalitarian state." Icelandic media, citizens, and human and civil rights groups
have been quick to denounce the use of the blacklist while pointing out that the
discrimination it has bred (including internment of over 60 Falun Gong
practitioners in a school building for over 24 hours after their arrival in
Reykjavik) violates Iceland's own constitution and tradition of democracy. "The Icelandic people have realized that the Falun Gong
issue is one that touches them all," states Joel Chipkar, a Canadian who
has spent the past week in Iceland talking with people and the media about Falun
Gong. "At its core, this isn't an issue of one group's rights being
violated. It's about whether or not people will condone such underhanded means
as covert intelligence gathering on foreign soil and using that information to
breed discrimination and violate individuals' rights, which is of course goes
against the most basic principles of a democratic nation like Iceland." Chipkar added, "The ability of such lists to exist and
the willingness of institutions to use them to persecute people constitutes a
very real threat to people's basic freedoms, and a very real threat to
democratic institutions and policies more broadly. This is a wake up call." # # # 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 Centre has verified details of
over 422 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. Over 100,000 have been detained, with more than 20,000 being
sentenced to forced labor camps without trial. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA
INFORMATION CENTER- Contacts: Gail Rachlin 917-501-4441, Erping Zhang
646-533-6147, Adam Montanaro 917-405-4507, or Feng Yuan 646-523-5676. Email: faluninfoctr@nycmail.com,
Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/
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