FALUN GONG.   Term Paper ID:26936 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Chinese religious cult's origins, influences, leadership, focusing on govt. crackdown.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Chinese religious cult's origins, influences, leadership, focusing on govt. crackdown. Paper Introduction: 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 Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Of course, they were not, and they diedin great numbers. After the Opium Wars in the mid-19thcentury, a failed scholar named Hong Xiuquan claimed to be Christ's youngerbrother and founded a sect named Great Peace, His actions hastened thedownfall of the Qing Dynasty. Thegovernment at the time characterized Falun Gong as a "cult" and assertedthat 1,4 people have died as a result of their involvement in theBuddhist-like spiritual movement. In the second century, A.D., during theHan Dynasty, a Taoist sect named the Yellow Turbans staged a revolt thathelped to bring the Government down. "Chinese Embassy Says Falun Gong Destabilizing." Reuters (November 2, 1999). The writings of itsleader, Li Hongzhi, advocate clean living and also suggest that committedpractitioners can attain supernatural powers. At the end of October, the Standing Committee of the National People'sCongress (NPC) issued an anti-cult law to prevent and combat cults,including the Falun Gong sect. Chinese authorities have accused the movement's leadersof aiming to overthrow the government. TheChinese spokesperson also tried to draw similarities between the group andthe Branch Davidians group, which held a 51-day armed standoff with federalagents near Waco, Texas, in 1993 and also with the Aum Shinri Kyo in Japan,accused of a 1995 nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway. They also called forcondemnation by the United Nations and human rights groups while alsoinsisting, against all evidence, that if national leaders only knew thefacts, they would see the movement as wholesome and unthreatening.However, in a country where information is usually tightly controlled, theability of the group to organize such an audacious meeting itself suggestedwhy Communist leaders feel threatened. Government leaders are seen as conducting their campaign againstFalun Gong with great thoroughness, and what many Chinese analysts see asthe campaign's overkill has led them to question whether the leadership ispursuing its own political objectives as well, with President Jiang Zeminusing the campaign to extend his authority at a time when he faces multiplechallenges, notably from Taiwan. China placed a request throughInterpol, the international police force, for the arrest of the movement'sfounder, Li Hongzhi, who is based in New York City--a request whichInterpol turned down, citing a lack of criminal evidence. Mr. Li, the leader, is also said to harbor covert political goals and toexploit the gullible to enrich himself (Eckholm A1). Four leading Falun Gong members were charged with organizing a cult,accused specifically as "organizing a cult to undermine the implementationof laws," and also with violating China's vague state secrets law, ameasure often used against political dissidents. Falun Gong is a faith-healing sect led by a Chinese guru now livingin New York City, and it is one of a long line of secret societies,religious movements, and faith-healing sects based on a combination ofBuddhism, Taoism, and millenarian folk beliefs. At the present time, official effortscontinue to blame the leaders of Falun Gong, while ordinary followers arepardoned and encouraged to disavow the movement. "The Sect That Became an Enemy of the State." New York Times (July 25, 1999), C1."China Issues Anti-cult Law." Xinhua News Agency (October 29, 1999)."China Sets Jail Terms for Cult Organisers." Reuters (October 3 , 1999).Eckholm, Erik. Under the new law, organizers ofcults can be jailed for at least seven years. "Falun Gong Leaders Charged in China." AP Online (November 1, 1999).Zakaria, Tabassum. In addition, theState Department has pointed out that the United States does not have anextradition treaty with China (Faison, "China and the Sect: More Talk ThanAction," A1). They riskedserious criminal charges for speaking out at an illegal meeting anddescribed a worsening pattern of harassment, arrests, and even physicalabuse since their movement was banned in July. In an earlier era, the orthodoxy wasConfucianism, which imposed a social hierarchy as a kind of cosmic order,with the divine emperor at its pinnacle. A Hong Kong-based human rights monitor reports that lawyers inBeijing have been told to get official permission before taking on casesinvolving Falun Gong members and to report any instances of Falun Gongmembers approaching them for advice (Faison, "Subversion Trials Due forLeaders of Sect in China," A1). Thus, most Falun Gongpractitioners will be forgiven if they promise not to take part in thefuture. Falun gong has become a major issue in China, one thatinvolves shifts in public opinion, efforts by the authorities to jail theleaders, and international tensions as the Chinese authorities continue totry to have the leaders arrested in other jurisdictions. The Falun Gong has done little to assuage the authorities.Members of the group held a daring, clandestine meeting with a handful offoreign journalists at the end of October to appeal for internationalpressure to halt the Government's relentless crackdown. The decision further stresses that deceived followers andpractitioners should be differentiated from cult leaders, and localgovernments are being asked to take necessary measures to educate thosedeceived while punishing a small number of cult leaders and those who havecommitted crimes ("China Issues Anti-Cult Law"). Two were charged withrunning illegal businesses (Schoof). Indeed, the unanimousvote of the 114-member executive committee of the National People'sCongress ruled that leaders of religious cults may be prosecuted for murderand endangering national security; these are two of China's most seriouscrimes and open the way for the death penalty to be imposed. This is one of the problems facing the current Chinese regime,for few Chinese, even inside the Communist Party, really believe in theMarxist dogmas anymore. The government has therefore been forced to turnmore and more to a resentful form of nationalism--the idea that China isconstantly being harassed by hostile foreign powers--and a century ofdefeats at the hands of foreign enemies has made most Chinese extremelyreceptive to this kind of nationalism (Buruma C1). "China and the Sect: More Talk Than Action." New York Times (August 6, 1999), A1.Faison, Seth. At the time, members ofFalun Gong were continuing their passive protests in Tiananmen Squareoutside the Great Hall of the People, where parliament' s top body wasmeeting to approve the legislation. The government claims that most of thesedeaths were a result of Falun Gong encouraging its followers to stop goingto the doctor (Pomfret). According to China's topleaders, however, the group is a threat to party rule and social stability. "China Sect Members Covertly Meet Press and Ask World's Help." New York Times (October 29, 1999), A1.Faison, Seth. Some fifty years later another faith-healingsociety, the Boxers, revolted, claiming to have supernatural powers whichmade them impervious to bullets. Falun Gong has Buddhist-Taoist beliefs in buildingsuperior virtue through faith-healing techniques, and it thus belongs to afolk tradition that has always frightened the leadership of China. Such groups have been partof the Chinese scene for thousands of years, and they tend to grow violentin times of crisis and transition. The religious group known as Falun Gong has become identified by theChinese authorities as a dangerous cult that must be eliminated fromChinese society. Works CitedBuruma, Ian. Today, the orthodoxy is Marxism-Leninism. Members of thegroup had previously carried out similar actions in other cities in protestagainst uncomplimentary articles in state newspapers ("China Sets JailTerms for Cult Organizers"). "China Opens Way For Death Penalty For Cult Leaders." The Washington Post (October 31, 1999).Schoof, Renee. More than 1 , Falun Gong membersemerged in April to sit outside China's leadership compound in centralBeijing in a demonstration for official recognition, and this act led tothe banning of the cult and a crackdown on its members. This law calls on courts, prosecutors,police, and administrative judicial organs to be on full alert of cultactivities. Thevery existence of the group challenges the structure that upholds the rightof Chinese governments to rule. In Washington, the Chinese embassy accused the Falun Gong ofdestabilizing the fabric of Chinese society and the group's leader ofcausing the deaths of members by preaching against medical help. "Subversion Trials Due for Leaders of Sect in China." The New York Times (August 25, 1999), A1.Pomfret, John. However, whenpressed for examples of any violent activities committed by the Falun Gong,he admitted no such evidence had yet been found (Zakaria). Falun Gong has been wildly popularsince its founding in 1992, and it appeals especially to middle-aged andolder people who believe that it enhances health. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.