Falun Gong

The religious group known as Falun Gong has become identified by the Chinese authorities as a dangerous cult that must be eliminated from Chinese society. Chinese authorities have accused the movement's leaders of aiming to overthrow the government. China placed a request through Interpol, the international police force, for the arrest of the movement's founder, Li Hongzhi, who is based in New York City--a request which Interpol turned down, citing a lack of criminal evidence. In addition, the State Department has pointed out that the United States does not have an extradition treaty with China (Faison, "China and the Sect: More Talk Than Action," A1). Falun gong has become a major issue in China, one that involves shifts in public opinion, efforts by the authorities to jail the leaders, and international tensions as the Chinese authorities continue to try to have the leaders arrested in other jurisdictions.

Falun Gong is a faithhealing sect led by a Chinese guru now living in New York City, and it is one of a long line of secret societies, religious movements, and faithhealing sects based on a combination of Buddhism, Taoism, and millenarian folk beliefs. Such groups have been part of the Chinese scene for thousands of years, and they tend to grow violent in times of crisis and transition. In the second century, A.D., during the Han Dynasty, a Taoist sect named the Yellow Turbans staged a revolt that helped to bring the Government down. After the Opium Wars in the

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wever, in a country where information is usually tightly controlled, the ability of the group to organize such an audacious meeting itself suggested why Communist leaders feel threatened. Falun Gong has been wildly popular since its founding in 1992, and it appeals especially to middleaged and older people who believe that it enhances health. The writings of its leader, Li Hongzhi, advocate clean living and also suggest that committed practitioners can attain supernatural powers. According to China's top leaders, however, the group is a threat to party rule and social stability. Mr. Li, the leader, is also said to harbor covert political goals and to exploit the gullible to enrich himself (Eckholm A1). At the end of October, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) issued an anticult law to prevent and combat cults, including the Falun Gong sect. This law calls on courts, prosecutors, police, and administrative judicial organs to be on full alert of cult activities. The decision further stresses that deceived followers and practitioners should be differentiated from cult leaders, and local governments are being asked to take necessary measures to educate those deceived while punishing a small num

Category: Philosophy - F