(Clearwisdom.net) An English media outlet in Malaysia, Malay Mail, published a report on March 17, 2008, explaining in detail how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) pressured the Malaysian government to cancel the permit for the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular. The next day, a journalist from the Malay Mail interviewed the spokespersons for the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage (abbr: Ministry of Culture) and the Chinese Embassy to Malaysia, and made a report afterwards.
Spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy denied that they had pressured the Ministry of Culture about the DPA show, but he admitted that he "communicated"with the Malaysian Ministry of Culture regarding this matter. Spokesperson for the Malaysian Ministry of Culture acknowledged that the Chinese Embassy had contacted them regarding this matter. Both "spokespersons" did not want their names to be revealed during the interview.
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Malay Mail's report on March 17 included an interview with a coordinator of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular in Malaysia Wong Mei Yee. The report cited Ms. Wong as saying, "It is hard to believe that our government has yielded to the unreasonable pressure from the Chinese Embassy and ignored the difficult situation of the local organizers."
In addition, the report also mentioned that Ms. Wong had handed over several letters of protest to various ministries, including the Ministry of Culture, Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office.
Ms. Wong said, "Some 85 percent of the seats of the first day's performance have been sold. Many of the audience members are from Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, India and other neighboring countries. Those who have booked their tickets and accommodations will also need to bear the losses."
Since Divine Performing Arts started its world tour in North America, Europe, the Asian Pacific regions, Malaysia is not the only country that was pressured by the CCP. The Chinese Embassy has attempted to interfere with the performance or even directly threatened people not to attend the show. Media in different countries have covered these incidents, and the CCP's actions have been condemned by those who read the reports. In Sweden, seven Members of Parliament jointly published a statement condemning the CCP's actions and expressing their support for the Divine Performing Arts performance. In Munich, Germany, the concert promoter of the Chinese Spectacular called the Chinese Embassy's threats "shameful."
