De Limberger (Netherlands): Chinese interference with Falun Gong goes far

BACKGROUND by Pieternel Kellenaers

A few days ago the Chinese government tried to stop a performance of the Dutch Falun Gong in theme parc Mondo Verde, Landgraaf. This incident does not stand alone. More and more the Chinese authorities try to block the movement abroad.

(Clearwisdom.net) Maastricht, May 28^th 2003 -- How the Chinese government was informed about the performance of his club is still a riddle to Peter Houben. "I presume that they have infiltrators who pass on information to the Chinese authorities", says the Dutch chairman of Falun Gong in Maastricht. "But it's also possible they got the information from a local paper, in which our event was announced."

Falun Gong is a movement that was made public in China in 1992 by Li Hongzhi and strives to improve the physical and mental health by exercises and meditation. In China the movement has been banned since July 1999 and adherents are severely persecuted [...]

Houben's presumption that the interference of the Chinese government abroad goes so far as to use infiltrators in the Netherlands, is confirmed by the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD). In her annual report 2001 the AIVD writes: "The obsession with which the regime in Beijing has set itself the goal to completely eradicate the spiritual movement Falun Gong worldwide, [...] has bestowed state loyal Chinese abroad with the task of mapping Falun Gong adherents and block them where possible [...] As such there was intense anti propaganda to slander the movement and pressure was exerted to try to prevent meetings and publications. Because of this, individual adherents felt spied on and threatened."

Not much has changed in this despite the internal renewal of the Chinese political leadership in November last year, writes the AIVD in her annual report 2002.

In the case of Landgraaf, the Chinese authorities first contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tells the PR official. The question was if the performance of Falun Gong could be prohibited. "But here in the Netherlands we know freedom of speech, that also goes for Falun Gong. After that the Chinese authorities have tried it with sending a fax to the theme parc in Landgraaf. The director of Mondo Verde called us and we told him the same." Such incidents do occur sporadically, says the PR official.

Though the blocking of Falun Gong in the Netherlands occurs on a lesser scale as elsewhere outside of the Chinese borders, the list of incidents grows. For instance, pressure was issued to prevent a Falun Gong practitioner from speaking at a seminar in Amsterdam. At a Chinese festival in Rotterdam Falun Gong was initially denied a stand because of pressure from the Chinese authorities. And during the celebration of Chinese New Year on February 2^nd this year in Hague, the organization let Falun Gong know that they were not welcome.

The most recent example is the failed attempt of the Chinese authorities to cancel the demonstration of Falun Gong in Landgraaf. Organiser Jan Nonneman did not give in to the pressure of the Chinese. In the end the Falun Gong practitioners have quietly meditated in Landgraaf for the past two weekends.

In their own country the Chinese interfence goes much further. According to Peter Houben the Chinese authorities have already justified their persecution of Falun Gong by lies and deception for 4 years now. The most remarkable example of this is the self immolation incident of January 23, 2001. [...]

"Chinese state television broadcasted footage of the people involved giving interviews shortly after the incident, on a daily basis", knows Houben from friends who have regular contact with people in China. "The by fire wounds disfigured people stated to have been driven by Falun Gong to set themselves on fire. But these images are just faked. It's a well known form of Chinese propaganda", states Houben.

Directly after the publication of the news of the self immolation, Falun Gong disassociated itself from the incident. Houben: "Suicide is completely against our principles."

The speech laboratory of Taiwan has concluded by analysing speech, that one of the victims is 'played' by two different persons. But the story of the Chinese authorities contains a lot more contradictions. The incident was filmed by security camera's on Tiananmen Square. These camera's are static, whereas the film shows zoomed footage of several locations of the square. "Besides that some of the victims were given a cut in their windpipe in order to breathe. It's medically impossible to speak, shortly after such an operation", says Houben.

The Chinese embassy did not want to give any comments.

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