Sat. Jul. 21 2001 3:31 PM

The third week of July marks a somber anniversary for Falun Gong practitioners around the world. Two years ago, China began its persecution of the movement's adherents. Ever since, it's been a brutal and relentless campaign against what Beijing's authoritarian regime sees as a threat to its power.

It's ironic timing. The grim anniversary happened just one week after the International Olympic Committee awarded China the right to host the 2008 Olympics. Many interpreted the decision as a message that the IOC, at least, is willing to gloss over China's human rights abuses.

Jillian Ye, a Toronto spokesperson for Falun Gong, wonders how the decision will affect her fellow believers in China. "On the one hand, I think having more eyes watching Beijing is a positive thing," says the Toronto software engineer.

"But the world needs to focus on more than the economic and sport-building and construction process. People should also pay attention to humanity and morality and human rights."

Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, started quietly enough in Mainland China in the early 90s, when its founder Li Hongzhi, introduced his unique combination of moralistic teachings and meditation exercises. By 1999, Falun Gong claimed to have 70 million followers in Mainland China, more than the [party' name omitted] Party.

In April, 1999, 10,000 believers surrounded the government compound in Beijing's Forbidden City. They demanded that the state-controlled media stop portraying them as a [Jiang Zemin government's slanderous term omitted]. China's authoritarian leadership interpreted the peaceful demonstrations as a provocation and a threat. Within months, Falun Gong was labeled an "[Jiang Zemin government's slanderous term omitted]." Tens of thousands of followers were detained, arrested, or imprisoned.

Ian Johnson is a Canadian who reports for the Wall Street Journal. He recently won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking stories about the persecution and torture of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

CTVNEWS.com spoke with Johnson at his home in Berlin. He explained that the crackdown was the response of a leadership seriously out of touch with the people.

"They had no idea what was brewing in society, and so they had this very visceral, very angry backlash against Falun Gong," says Johnson.

AN ONGOING CAMPAIGN

Just days after the Olympic announcement, China's vice-premier re-iterated his government's determination to stamp out Falun Gong. [...]

[...]

Falun Gong members reject accusations that they are anything like a cult. Jason Loftus, a third-year engineering student at the University of Toronto, calls it a spiritual belief system. He says it's helped him focus, in his schoolwork and in the rest of his life.

"I find that mentally, spiritually, physically, it's been the most powerful thing I've come across," he says, adding that Falun Gong teaches fundamental principles that he can apply day-to-day: truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.

Journalist Ian Johnson doesn't characterize Falun Gong as a cult, either. "A cult implies something that has a doomsday scenario, mass suicide as its goal or likely outcome. I don't think Falun Gong is that." Johnson also rejects the term "sect," because sects are usually considered splinter groups of an existing religion.

[...]

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