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Al-Ahram Weekly 19 - 25 August 1999 Issue No. 443 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 19 - 25 August 1999 Issue No. 443
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Falun fallacies?
By Mariz TadrosNot since the pro-democracy protests of 1989 has China witnessed such a wide-scale crackdown. The target, this time, is not students and workers, but followers of the Falun Gong movement, who say they are practising a higher form of Buddhist worship, based on the three principles of truthfulness, benevolence and forbearance.
The Chinese authorities reported on Sunday that their campaign against the sect had been highly successful, claiming that the Falun Gong was virtually crushed.
The government outlawed the group three weeks ago and issued an arrest warrant against its leader, Li Hongzhi, claiming that the movement's activities are politically motivated.
Since then, Beijing has embarked upon a nationwide campaign to erase any traces of the Falun Gong, which, some believe, may include as many as 100 million followers -- although the official estimate is two million. Since the ban, thousands of members have been detained. Reportedly, more than 2 million Falun Gong publications have been burnt by the government. Books, cassettes, and video compact discs were also destroyed. Meanwhile, the media has launched an intense witch-hunt.
Falun Gong, which originated in the northeastern province of Jilin, is based on meditation, a practice which presumably empowers its members to cure diseases. However, according to the Chinese government, the cult's claim to possess healing powers has caused the death of many who could, otherwise, have been cured.
The government has also accused the cult leadership of operating illegally, of failing to register and of holding meetings without obtaining permission.
Undoubtedly, it was the demonstration held in front of the Communist Party compound in Beijing on 25 April that provoked a massive backlash by the government. An estimated 10,000 Falun members had gathered, demanding official recognition of their organisation.
Many analysts believe that the demonstration first alerted the government to the group's growing popularity and its ability to mobilise large segments of the population.
Allegiance to the movement is considered to undermine loyalty to the communist party and the nation. The government has accused Li of orchestrating the demonstration. He is now on China's most-wanted list. However, since he is based in New York and there is no extradition agreement between the US and China, it is unlikely that the Clinton administration will hand him over.
Still, the ban of Falun Gong by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CPPCC) prompted a nationwide denunciation of the organisation by just about every section of society. Buddhist and Taoist leaders sought to distance themselves from the group, which claims to cultivate a higher order in the Buddhist school, but -- unlike Buddhists -- believe that a person can eventually become a god.
Master Jinghui, vice-chairman of the China Buddhism Association, said that the Falun Gong had borrowed much of its teachings and jargon from Buddhism and Taoism but had misinterpreted and distorted both. The vice-chairman of the China Taoism organisation, Zhang Jiyu, reiterated that, "Li wants nothing but to make a god, a living Buddha out of himself", and added that the government's ban of the Falun Gong "has safeguarded the interests of the religious circle as well as social stability".
Since the proscription, the media has also stepped up a campaign to "unravel the true nature of the movement".
Every night CCTV International presents special documentaries to discredit the movement. Analysts emphasise that Falun Gong's ulterior aim is to topple the government. After spreading fallacies, its members will try to bargain on an equal footing with the leadership, they say. Scientists stress that Falun Gong betrayed scientific truth and call for strengthening dialectical materialism. Small entrepreneurs and businessmen praise the government for its actions, saying that only social stability can bring about prosperity.
According to an editorial in the pro-government English language paper, The China Daily, Li's "malicious fallacies" are politically motivated. His purpose, says the newspaper, is clear, "by deifying himself, he sought to take the place of the government".
Chinese followers of Falun Gong recently held a counter-demonstration in front of the White House calling for the release of detained members of the sect, freedom of belief and freedom of association. The Chinese government however, rejected the argument that it violated the right to freedom of association, because as Ding Shufang, at the China University of Political Science and Law pointed out, "Even though the freedom of assembly is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, the same law states that the assembly should not infringe on the interests of the state of society or the lawful freedom and rights of other citizens."
The hysteria surrounding Falun Gong may very well drive the organisation underground, rather than obliterate it altogether. Instead of meditating and exercising in public, its followers are likely to practise in private and avoid openly distributing their publications. Many have been forced to condemn the practice, fearing that their livelihood would be at stake.
Support for Falun Gong could also mean immediate suspension from the Communist Party, although Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, says that Falun Gong members still have a chance to return to the party after undergoing "re-education". Many Falun Gong members, however, argue that there is nothing about the practice that runs counter to the principles of the Communist Party.
Yet according to The People's Daily, "the battle against Falun Gong is a serious ideological and political struggle, relating to the future and destiny of our party and country."
It is true that a battle is going on, but Falun Gong is only its manifestation, rather than its cause. Since the beginning of the year, President Jiang Zemin has emphasised "studying the Marxist canon", "talking more about politics" and "righteousness". In the eyes of some analysts, the presence of Falun Gong practitioners in the army and the party reflects weak party discipline.
But while the government continues to preach materialism and atheism, the number of Chinese visiting Buddhist temples continues to rise. A modest estimate suggests that there are about 250,000 Buddhist monks and nuns and about 25,000 Taoist monks and nuns nationwide.
Thus, the popularity of the Falun Gong movement may be symptomatic of the drastic socio-economic changes occurring in Chinese society, rather than an expression of lax party discipline. According to one Falun Gong member, quoted in the Hong Kong based South China Morning Post, the reason why some members have sought medical treatment through Falun Gong is because they cannot afford health care.
Economic restructuring policies, which have forced many factories to lay off workers, have had a big impact on household incomes. As a result of the social malaise and the widening class disparity, the party has considerable reason to fear mobilisation of the Falun Gong movement.
