All Those Who Invest in Mainland China Should Learn the Truth About Falun Gong
(Clearwisdom.net) All businessmen who make investments in Mainland
China know that they should learn about its laws, regulations, and business and
cultural environment to ensure the smooth operation of their businesses. Since
government work, company profits and even students' tests and education are
forcibly linked with Falun Gong, the truth about Falun Gong is something every
investor must learn. We relate below what Mary Kay Inc. went through in
China. Mary Kay, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is a retail cosmetics firm with
over 120,000 employees and sales consultants in China. Some of them are Falun
Gong practitioners. Since September 2003, a Chinese Mary Kay, Inc.
subsidiary in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province has been the subject of scrutiny
by the "610 Office."* This surveillance stems from an incident in
which a Falun Gong practitioner related the goodness of Falun Dafa cultivation
in a speech to personnel at the new Mary Kay subsidiary in Shenzhen City. A very successful private entrepreneur in Mainland China once said that for
Western businessmen who invest in China, "the key to success is not to
betray yourself." He said many business people who made investments in
China are successful investors. Please think about it: Why is the Western
economy more prosperous than the Chinese economy; what are the key reasons why
westerners are successful? If you betray those key factors when you make
investments in China, then how can you believe you are still going to be
successful? Isn't that the same as betraying yourself?" Mary Kay Inc. imposed this disgraceful requirement on its employees
because it received pressure from the "610 Office." The company's
action, though, attracted much attention from the international community. On
November 17, 2003, three influential U.S. Congressional members, Chris Smith
(Vice Chairman of Committee on International Relations), Tom Lantos (Ranking
Democratic Member) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Chair of the Subcommittee on the
Middle East and Central Asia) wrote to Mr. Richard R. Rogers, Chairman and CEO
of Mary Kay Inc. to request an immediate revocation of the requirement
imposed by Mary Kay China on its sales associates to sign a
"behavioral standard statement," which specifically mention Falun Gong
or any other religious, spiritual or political movement. This would require Mary Kay Inc. to have a clear understanding of the
Falun Gong incident. The company not only has to learn about the Chinese
government's suppressive policies against Falun Gong, all illegal laws and
regulations that the "610 Office" or the National Security Bureau may
impose, but also has to learn that these laws and regulations not only violate
the constitution of China, they also violate international human rights pacts.
The company's administrators not only must learn about what kind of persecution
is being executed against Falun Gong practitioners by the "610
Office," but also what kind of lawsuits and punishment await the current
persons in charge of the persecution. They not only need to know what kind of
consequences will be brought about by agreeing with or rejecting the "610
Office" requests, but also whether agreeing with or rejecting these
requests meets the company's bottom-line moral standards and whether it will
make the company violate the constitution of China and international laws. Persecutors are being investigated and sued Some of the leading persons in charge of this persecution include former
president Jiang Zemin; Luo Gan, the former Secretary of the Politics and Law
Committee; Liu Qi, former Beijing Mayor; Wu Guanzheng, a current member of the
Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and
former Party secretary of Shandong Provincial Party Committee; Zhao Zhifei,
former deputy head of Hubei Province's Public Security Department; Zhao Yongkang,
former Party secretary of Sichuan Provincial Party Committee; Xia Deren, deputy
head of Liaoning Province. All these individuals were charged with crimes of
torture, genocide, crimes against humanity, deprivation of the right to live,
deprivation of freedom and personal safety, deprivation of protection from
illegal arrest and detention, deprivation of freedom of thought, freedom of
conscience and freedom of belief. These cases were filed in the U.S., Spain,
Finland, Iceland, Belgium, Moldova and Armenia, among others. The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
("WOIPFG") Source: http://www.upholdjustice.org was founded on January 20, 2003,
"This organization openly invites and seeks support from individuals and institutions of global social conscience, and plays a coordinating role in the effort to investigate - broadly, thoroughly, and systematically - all instances
of criminal conduct on the part of individuals, institutions, and organizations involved in the persecution of Falun Gong. This includes Jiang
Zemin himself, all levels of the "610 Office" directly responsible for
the persecution of Falun Gong at Jiang's orders, the National Security Bureau,
the Public Security Bureau, the court justice system, forced-labor camps, mental
institutions involved in the persecution, Stop state terrorism - the investor's choice As mentioned above, after the three Falun Gong practitioners were illegally
arrested, the "610 Office" applied further pressure on Mary Kay
by forcing the company to comply with demands regarding Falun Gong, under the
threat of having normal business operations in China interrupted or
discontinued. Another Mary Kay employee spoke during a company meeting in favor of
Falun Gong. That person was detained by Chinese authorities, and this person's
whereabouts remain unknown. Mary Kay Inc. said in its regulation that the employees who do not sign
the "behavioral standard statement" would be fired, but stopped short
of saying that the employees would be fired because of their belief. The
difference is only a matter of words and the actual damage is the same: Falun
Gong practitioners would lose their job because of their spiritual beliefs. In
this incident, the administrators at China Mary Kay Inc. were directly
involved and caused this damage. On one hand, the company forced Falun Gong
practitioners who refuse to give up their belief to lose their job; on the other
hand, some people were forced to sign it against their will because they didn't
want to lose their job, and therefore they didn't dare to speak out the truth
that they know about Falun Gong. This is in fact a form of
psychological persecution. In China, many people know the truth about Falun Gong, and they know the
savagery and illegality of the persecution, while the persecutors are highly
afraid of being exposed. In this situation, if the public can freely express
their opinions, and the international media can freely report and verify the
facts of this insidious persecution, the pressure from the media and the public
can do much to reduce the persecution to a large extent. Whoever said, "Falun Gong is good" would lose their job, and so people
avoid this topic. This in itself is psychological blackmail of the whole Chinese
population. That is the main reason why people don't dare to talk about things
in public that are related to the Falun Gong issue that goes against the
government's propaganda. They even don't dare to learn the facts, because they
are afraid of being reported and monitored by the police. This fear is created
by the long-standing state terrorism. Because of general silence and evading of
the topic, the pressure resulting from this psychological control is increased.
Therefore, if a company cooperates with the "610 Office" and urges its
employees to sign a so-called guarantee, the company itself is then an
accomplice to the persecution. At the same time, this company is at fault for
increasing people's fear factor, thereby becoming an accomplice to the state
terrorism. Even in a company where no employee practices Falun Gong, if the company
gives up its moral principle to obey "610 Office" demands, it is
actually participating in the persecution and therefore becomes an accomplice to
the state terrorism. Since the "610 Office's" psychological control
involves every person in China, the fact that people avoid talking about Falun
Gong in any company makes it more difficult to break through the atmosphere of
terror. When the persecutors coerce a company to cooperate with illegal, terrorist
actions, every company in China faces an inevitable choice whether to stop the
spread of state terrorism or to help spread it? This is a moral choice, but it
could possibly have legal consequences as well. US companies can be held responsible for overseas violations of human rights The California-based petroleum company Unocal and Netherlands
petroleum company Shell faced lawsuits for violating human rights in its
overseas business operation. A recent case in point is Doe. v. Unocal. Plaintiffs in this case
sought redress for the human rights abuses associated with the Unocal pipeline
project in Burma. For details, please go to "Precedents for U.S. Companies Being Held
Accountable For Human Rights Violations Committed Abroad" http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2003/11/11/42166.html Learning the truth about Falun Gong is necessary to guarantee a company's
long-term interest Successful companies have certain behavioral regulations for their employees,
to ensure its business operations are legal and moral. Because of the current
depth and scope of the persecution against Falun Gong carried out by the Chinese
government as well as the illegitimacy of current laws and policies, letting
every employee thoroughly learn the truth about Falun Gong is vital to protect
long-term interests and to ensure legal investment and business operations in
China for every company that has business relations with China or has Chinese
employees. If normal business operations must be sustained by unjust means, how long can
a company last? What will the future of such a society be? If everyone starts with himself by rationally persisting with reason and
principle, then terror and lies will lose their place. In fact, when people who uphold justice and persist in their belief ignore a
persecutor's threats, the persecutors are the one who are afraid, because they
are the ones who have violated the law. They display irrationality when
maintaining the evildoing dictator's regime, and they show ruthless cruelty when
treating kind Falun Gong practitioners. These are just hysterical reactions,
like a flickering candle just before it goes out. Those who persecute and hate
Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance are most afraid of the truth and afraid of
being exposed. They are the weakest, from inside out. As noted in the letter from the three influential congressional members, to
request an immediate revocation of the requirements imposed by Mary Kay China
on its sales associates to sign "behavioral standards statements:"
"The Chinese Government will undoubtedly be displeased with Mary Kay's
decision, but the fact that Mary Kay employs tens of thousands of Chinese
citizens in a nation with rising unemployment will give the Chinese Government
little choice but to acquiesce to a principled decision by Mary Kay." People may think a single company is not powerful enough to fight against the
whole government machinery under the dictator's control. However, the voice of
justice is not alone; the attention of the international media and calls from
U.S. government officials are all supporting justice. An ancient Chinese proverb
says, "a just cause enjoys abundant support while an unjust cause finds
little support." If we all conscientiously
join forces to respect human rights and justice, then more people will step
forward to resist any persecution of human rights and belief, and the result
will necessarily be that the power of righteousness will be constantly
strengthened until it eventually defeats the evildoers. In terms of both self-interest and moral integrity, foreign investors in
China should learn more about Falun Gong. During the past 11 years,
especially after July 1999 and also in the future, the
"Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" principle of Falun Gong has
produced inestimable influence in Chinese society. Only by respecting morality
and the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance can Chinese society look
forward to stable development and find a bright path amidst her current crisis. * Note about the "610 Office": On June 10, 1999, bypassing
procedures required by the Chinese constitution and other laws, and under direct
orders from the then leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Jiang Zemin,
the CCP Central Committee formed the "610 Office," an organization
with the sole mission to persecute Falun Gong. It is further described as an
agency specifically established to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power
over each level of administration in the Party and all other political and
judiciary systems.
A reporter related the incident to the police, which precipitated the arrest of
three Falun Gong practitioners. After they were illegally arrested, the
"610 Office" put pressure on Mary Kay by forcing the company to
comply with government-dictated demands regarding Falun Gong, with the threat of
having normal business operations in China interrupted or discontinued.
Under pressure from the "610 Office," Mary Kay, Inc. initiated
a requirement that all current and future employees sign a "behavioral
standard statement," which explicitly states that they will neither
practice nor advocate Falun Gong, under penalty of employment termination.
According to information from within China, several Mary Kay employees
have already lost their jobs for refusing to sign such a statement.
the state-controlled media and its mouthpieces that spread false accusations,
fabricate lies, and frame Falun Gong, and those individuals who directly or
indirectly participate in the mental, physical, and financial persecution of
Falun Gong practitioners and their family members."
Under pressure from the "610 Office," Mary Kay, Inc.
required that all current and future employees sign a "behavioral standards
statement," which explicitly stated that they will neither practice nor
advocate Falun Gong, under penalty of employment termination. According to
information from within China, several Mary Kay employees and/or sales
consultants lost their jobs for refusing to sign such a statement. (Note: Mary Kay has since revised the pledge. Please see the following link for an update on the situation. Mary Kay Inc. Discontinues Use of Pledge in China that Cites Falun Gong as 'Illegal')
The plaintiffs are Burmese peasants who suffered a variety of egregious
violations at the hands of Burmese army units that were securing the pipeline
route. The violations included forced labor and forced relocation, rape, torture
and other human rights violations.
An U.S. Federal District Court in Los Angeles agreed to hear Doe v. Unocal
in 1997. The Court concluded that corporations and their executive officers can
be held legally responsible under the Alien Tort Claims Act for violations of
international human rights norms in foreign countries, and that U.S. courts have
the authority to adjudicate such claims.
Another similar case is Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Petroleum (Shell).
Plaintiffs brought this lawsuit under the Alien Tort Claims Act for human rights
abuses in Nigeria and also alleged violations of the Racketeer Influenced and
Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
On February 28, 2002, the court found that the plaintiffs' allegations met the
requirements for claims under the Alien Tort Claims Act, in that the actions Royal
Dutch/Shell vs. Anderson constituted participation in crimes against
humanity, torture, summary execution, arbitrary detention, cruel, inhuman, and
degrading treatment, and other violations of international law.
The plaintiffs' RICO claims could proceed because Royal Dutch/Shell's
actions in concert with the Nigerian military satisfied the racketeering
requirements of the act, and because they engaged in these acts in part to
facilitate the export of cheap oil to the United States.
U.S. companies doing business in foreign countries are subject to U.S. law and
local laws as well. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as
amended, FCPA is a good illustration of the responsibility of a U.S. company
doing business overseas to be in compliance with U.S. law.
In 1997, the United States and thirty-three other countries signed the OECD
Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International
Business Transactions. The United States ratified this Convention and enacted
implementing legislation in 1998.
Besides its central office in Beijing, the "610 Office" has branches
in all Chinese cities, villages, governmental agencies, institutions and
schools.
In terms of its establishment, structure, reporting mechanism, operations and
founding mechanism, it is an organization that is allowed to exist outside of
the established framework of the CCP and the Chinese government.
The power it has far exceeds that which is officially authorized under the
Chinese constitution and other laws; furthermore, it is free from budgetary
constraints. The "610 Office" has full control over any issue that has
to do with Falun Gong, and has become an organization that Jiang Zemin uses
personally and privately to persecute Falun Gong.
This organization does not have any legal basis. It is an organization that is
very similar to Nazi Germany's Gestapo and the "Central Committee of the
Cultural Revolution" during the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
Because of its special status and function, the "610 Office" should
take major responsibility for the barbarous treatment that numerous Falun Gong
practitioners have suffered. This debased treatment includes being tortured,
even being tortured to death or to the point of permanent disability, being
unlawfully detained, being sent to labor camps, mental institutions and being
forced to pay large sums of money as fines. These are completely against the
constitution of China, which explicitly protects people's freedom of belief and
freedom of speech, and it also violates the International Human Rights Pact,
which the Chinese government signed.
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2003/11/21/61028.html
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