The Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of Falun Gong continues 25 years after its launch, remaining a severe human rights crisis. Despite the regime’s efforts, Falun Gong survives in China and globally, with practitioners facing ongoing repression, imprisonment, and surveillance.
Key Takeaways
- The CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong remains a top priority for the regime’s security apparatus, both within China and overseas.
- Since January 2022, over 1,700 Falun Gong believers have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 15 years following sham trials.
- High-tech surveillance tools amplify the regime’s ability to monitor Falun Gong practitioners, often leading to detentions and torture.
Introduction
Twenty-five years after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched its ruthless campaign against Falun Gong, the spiritual practice remains firmly in Beijing’s repressive sights. Despite the regime’s massive investment in crushing the practice, Falun Gong has demonstrated remarkable resilience, surviving—and even thriving—in China and globally. This ongoing persecution represents one of the largest and most severe human rights crises in China today, with far-reaching implications for millions of practitioners and the broader landscape of religious freedom in the country.
End 25 Years’ Persecution of Falun Gong (ganjianworld.com).
The CCP’s Ongoing Crusade
The CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong, initiated in July 1999, has evolved into a comprehensive and technologically advanced campaign of repression. Recent years have seen the regime redouble its efforts to monitor, detain, imprison, and “transform” Falun Gong practitioners, both within China and abroad. This intensification has continued even after the November 2022 death of Jiang Zemin, the former CCP chief who launched the initial crackdown.
“Discover the Transformative Power of Falun Gong”
Internal CCP documents and speeches reveal that Falun Gong remains a top priority for the regime’s security apparatus. In August 2020, then-Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi emphasized the need to “make full use of legal weapons and methods to… severely crack down on the activities of Falun Gong.” This prioritization of Falun Gong as a perceived threat to the regime’s power is consistently reflected in official communications and directives across various levels of government.
Scale of Persecution and Its Impact
The scale of the persecution is staggering. Since January 2022, over 1,700 Falun Gong believers have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 15 years following sham trials. Thousands more have been detained for studying spiritual texts or sharing information on censored topics. These detainees join tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners currently held across China and millions detained over the past 25 years.
The human cost of this persecution is equally alarming. At least 369 Falun Gong practitioners are known to have died since January 2022 due to the CCP’s violence. The total number of documented deaths due to persecution reached 5,069 in May 2024, although the true figure is likely much higher due to the regime’s censorship and information control.
High-Tech Surveillance and Forced Organ Harvesting
The CCP’s campaign against Falun Gong has embraced modern technology, with high-tech surveillance tools amplifying the regime’s ability to monitor practitioners. Comprehensive databases and facial recognition-enabled cameras in public spaces often lead to detentions and torture of Falun Gong adherents.
Perhaps most disturbing are the ongoing allegations of forced organ harvesting. New academic research and recent accounts by Falun Gong survivors add to prior evidence that practitioners have been, and continue to be, killed to harvest their organs. This practice represents a grave violation of human rights and medical ethics.
Propaganda and Transnational Repression
The CCP’s crusade against Falun Gong extends beyond physical persecution to include extensive propaganda and disinformation campaigns. In 2023, the regime deployed the popular WeChat application for a nationwide campaign, exposing tens of millions of Chinese to anti-Falun Gong propaganda and encouraging them to sign a petition against the group.
Transnational Repression (faluninfo.net)
Moreover, the CCP’s pursuit of Falun Gong extends far beyond China’s borders. The regime and its diplomats have engaged in a systematic global campaign to stymie Shen Yun Performing Arts, many of whose artists practice Falun Gong. This transnational repression has even led to physical assaults on Falun Gong practitioners outside China by individuals deceived by CCP propaganda.
International Response and Future Outlook
The international community has not remained silent in the face of these abuses. National and local governments have enacted laws to combat forced organ harvesting, imposed sanctions on Chinese officials for human rights abuses, and taken steps to protect Falun Gong communities from transnational repression.
However, as the persecution enters its 26th year, more concerted action is needed. The resilience of Falun Gong practitioners in the face of such sustained repression is testament to the strength of their convictions. Yet, without increased international pressure and support, the CCP’s campaign of persecution shows no signs of abating.
Notable Points
- High-tech surveillance tools, including facial recognition cameras, used to monitor practitioners
- Total documented deaths reached 5,069 by May 2024
- WeChat used for a nationwide anti-Falun Gong propaganda campaign
- The 610 Office, a Gestapo-like organization, was created specifically to persecute Falun Gong
- Falun Gong practitioners have been subjected to forced labor, torture, and organ harvesting
- The China Tribunal concluded that forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience has occurred on a substantial scale
- Oxford University held training sessions attended by Chinese doctors accused of organ harvesting
Conclusion
The CCP’s 25-year-long persecution of Falun Gong stands as one of the most prolonged and severe human rights crises of our time. As we reflect on a quarter-century of repression, the international community must redouble its efforts to hold the CCP accountable, protect the rights of Falun Gong practitioners, and work towards ending this campaign of persecution once and for all.
Sources:
- “New Report: After 25 Years of Persecution, Chinese Regime Remains Laser-focused on Falun Gong – Falun Dafa Information Center” – https://faluninfo.net/new-report-after-25-years-of-persecution-chinese-regime-remains-laser-focused-on-falun-gong/
- “Falun Gong: 25 Years of Persecution, 25 Years Too Long – Falun Dafa Information Center” –
https://faluninfo.net/falun-gong-25-years-of-persecution-25-years-too-long/ - Falun Dafa Information Center – https://faluninfo.net/
- “China: Transnational Repression Origin Country Case Study” – https://freedomhouse.org/report/transnational-repression/china
- “Statistics & Evidence” – https://faluninfo.net/key-statistics-related-to-falun-gong/
- “Judgment – China Tribunal: Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China” – https://chinatribunal.com/final-judgment/
- “China: UN human rights experts alarmed by ‘organ harvesting’ allegations” – United Nations – https://www.ohchr.org/en/pressreleases/2021/06/china-un-human-rights-experts-alarmed-organ-harvesting-allegations
- “Oxford University held training sessions attended by Chinese doctors accused of harvesting organs” – The Telegraph – https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/03/09/oxford-university-training-chinese-accused-organ-harvesters/
