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• Robertson
  Falun Gong practitioners are certainly doing a lot outside mainland China to counter the persecution. This is a noble cause. But who says they are 'near-fanatical'? I think this is an irresponsible remark that gives the wrong impression. All efforts are being made in a rational, peaceful way. Within China there is not one instance of a Falun Gong practitioner responding to the vicious persecution with violence. This is a rational engagement with, and an attempt to stop the brutal persecution, no mere fanaticism.
• akrypti
  John,
  
  When I was 18 years old and a freshman in college, I saw a poster written all in Chinese (I can't read Chinese) with a photo of what looked like a monk floating in a meditation position and I thought, "Buddhism! Chinese people! My peoples! I wanna go!"
  
  So I went to that event, which turned out to be a Falun Gong group/cult situation. First, they told me there is a wheel in my stomach and I have to do these exercises every day to get the wheel spinning right and if I do, I can gain magical powers, just like some god they worshipped.
  
  Then they told me to stop taking medicine because it poisons my body. If I get sick, all I have to do is those wheel exercises and if I can learn to control the wheel in my stomach, I will never get sick again.
  
  It turns out in China, the Falun Gong cult has convinced many an uneducated individual to cease taking medicine and going to the hospital altogether, which has lead to the countless deaths of young children.
  
  Due to the massive amount of uneducated people in China who would easily buy into Falun Gong ideas, the Chinese government has little option but to ban it, as a means of keeping its own people safe.
  
  I don't agree with the way they approach the problem, but just realize the Falun Gong group isn't this innocent persecuted group.
• James
  I am from Beijing and just came to US earlier this year. I feel like seeing akrypti's experience-sharing about Falun Gong 8 years ago when Jiang Zemin (former Chinese communist party head) first ordered crackdown on Falun Gong in July, 1999. During that time, I remember all Chinese media (TV, newspaper, radio) was filled up with stories similar to akrypti's - my parents, who experienced many political movements in China like "Cultural Revolutionary" told me "don't be bothered by it. There is nothing new in it. That's just the role play of the Party's propaghanda - to turn public opinion against the persecuted in order to justify the crackdown". They said, this kind of thing happened to Deng Xiaoping, former Chinese Communist Party leader, Zhu Rongji, former Chinese Premier, and many others - when the Party needed to crucify them for political purpose, the propaghanda demonized them like evil. When the Party needed them back, the propaghanda instantly glorified them". My uncle said, in a closed society, where listening to VOA (Voice of America) is a crime, they rely on Party's propaghanda to tell the truth - whatever the Party's propaghanda say, they know the truth is just to the opposite.
  
  If you don't read Chinese, don't grow up in China and has never been through any of the political movements of the Party, I am afraid that you really don't know China.
  
  Just like my parents, who came last month to visit me. As a tourist or foreigner, they don't read English, have never lived in US, never participated in America's public life - they simply have no idea on how to use their life experience/knowledge, which is comfined to a small town in Northern China to make intelligent comments on issues that are particular to America.
  
  When somebody opens his/her mouth, you can immediately tell whether he/she is from here or knows stuff.
  
  I am afraid that say that I feel the author of this article is a foreigner to China - just like my parents are foreigner to US. Another WSJ reporter Ian Johnson, a Pulitzer Prize winner, has much better reader on China - he not only lived and worked in China, but also strived to break the blockage (or Chinese wall) to walk into the hearts and souls of the ordinary Chinese people. He won Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of Falun Gong. His book "Wild Grass" earned great respect from the Chinese people both inside and oustide of China.
  
  I was born and grew up in China - so my life is full of Chinese characteristics - at the age of 8, I enrolled in the youth league of the Communist Party (it is mandatory for all school students to do homage to), I studied text books that called America a evil hegemonist, Dalai Lama an evil cult leader (who received the highest civilian award from US Congress last month), Western democracy an anti-China force that we must fight it to the death, crackdown on 1989 Tiananmen Movement a rightful move... For Chinese people who have been through these events, we know how to read the "Made in China" stories about Falun Gong - they are just like the "Made in China" toys that have been massively recalled in America.
• Steve
  China has the only government in the world that insists on persecuting Falun Gong, a peaceful spiritual practice that promotes Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. Falun Gong is openly practiced and accepted in every other part of the world except China. In Taiwan, in fact, Falun Gong is taught in public schools to improve people's health and morality and the prime minister has spoken publicly in support of the practice and its righteous values. Moreover, several governmental officials in many countries have openly supported Falun Gong and voiced their concern over China's persecution of the practice. Falun Gong practitioners around the world are known for being peaceful, hardworking, and courageous people. Why the Chinese government and its supporters insist on spreading lies, slander and vilification about Falun Gong deeply saddens and troubles me. I agree with Robertson's comments above calling the tireless efforts of practitioners around the world to stop this baseless persecution a noble cause.
  
  The Falun Gong practitioners who dedicate their time to working for various news media ought to be applauded for their efforts and the high level of professionalism they have achieved, especially considering the difficult circumstances they work under.
• Jason
  Dear akrypti,
  
  I am deeply sorry about your experience with Falun Gong and information you have received about Falun Gong in China.
  
  I consider myself an educated individual, with both B.S. and M.S. degree.
  I started to check out Falun Gong more than 7 years ago for a simple reason:
  
  Why do these old ladies in China risk their life to insist practice Falun Gong? Because I know CCP, whoever don't obey, they use tank and machine gun, I remember 6/4/1989. I also know Chinese people are very smart, if they don't get anything truly good for them, they will not risk their life for it.
  
  I checked website, found all learning material are free to download. I decided to give a try for 6 months, why not? I simply read books and follow instructions for doing exercise at home by myself without paying anyone a dime. After two months practice, I am convinced this is great self-improvement program since many my physical problem disappear, such as my low back pain and acid stomach. More than 7 years now, Falun Gong improve my health and life.
  
  If you want to find out more true about Falun Gong here is a great link,
  Answers to Commonly Asked Questions about Falun Gong
  http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2004/9/...
• akrypti
  You know, Scientologists have an incredibly strong following here in the States. That doesn't make it any less wacky to me. Also compare and contrast Falun Gong with Christian Scientists. I'm all for freedom of religion, but China's cultural situation is different from ours and that must be respected. They have to deal with Falun Gong followers different from the way U.S. deals with Scientology and Christian Science.
  
  Apparently, allowing Falun Gong practitioners to spread their ideas in China has *killed little kids.* Lots of them. The government had to do something about it, needed to do a massive suppression of the religious cult.
  
  I'm vehemently against the Communist Party's approach and clearly it is wrong to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.
  
  However, I would like Americans to gain a clearer perspective of what the heck this stuff is.
  
  Seriously: think Scientology and Christian Scientists.
• Goldman
  Hi everyone,
  About the akrypti comments
  
  akrypti's comments are great examples of how the Chinese government works in small scale on their persecution of Falun Gong. This is a typical example of their propaganda.
  Though I am not saying that akrypti is spreading propaganda consciously since he also could just be a person spreading incorrect information but that is the result of it.
  The truth is that the Chinese regime often pretend being Americans over the Internet having heard of some terrible "truth" about Falun Gong like saying that it have killed little kids. Complete bogus. There are no evidence of this at all, just the contradictory, kids have developed their health through doing the Qigong exercises. The kind of information of kids having been killed is a trick of the Chinese media propaganda to instill hatered towards Falun Gong in people's minds. They do that by finding something sentimental to lure people with, making us think things like - how terrible to harm little inoncent children into such practices. This makes people not reflect rationally over what Falun Gong is about. They try to make people to judge out Falun Gong before anyone have even had any real facts to draw a conclusion from by judging it as terrible based on our sentiments. What a shamefull way! Don't buy into it and instead go and do some research yourselves. Check for example out this website (though a website set up by Falun Gong people) that have some more scientific articles on Falun Gong http://www.pureinsight.org
  Here a direct link to a health effect survey of Falun Gong practitioners.
  http://www.pureinsight.org/pi/index.php?topic=7
• Elly
  Hi akrypti,
  
  I'm sorry but I have deep doubt about your experiences that you described. Either you lied or who you met were not true Falun Gong practitioners because what you said was not from Falun Gong books.
  
  First, "they told me there is a wheel in my stomach and I have to do these exercises every day to get the wheel spinning right... they told me to stop taking medicine because it poisons my body... if I can learn to control the wheel in my stomach, I will never get sick again..." What you said here is totally not true from what Mr. Li Hongzhi said in his lecture. I've been practicing Falun Gong for more than 8 years, but I NEVER saw this in Mr. Li's lecture. And as said in Mr. Li's lecture:"I never told people not to take medicine. You want to take medicine, then go ahead take it."
  
  Second, "... which has lead to the countless deaths of young children." Where did you get this info? "Countless deaths"? We like to know the information source. If you just said this using your imagination, this is slandering.
  
  Third, "... the massive amount of uneducated people in China who would easily buy into Falun Gong ideas..." So, were you saying people who practice Falun Gong are more likely to be "uneducated"? In the city I live, the majority of the Fallun Gong practitioners have a Ph.D. degree, and three of them have a M.D. degree. I, myself, had been educated in top schools in China.
  
  Fourth, "...the Chinese government has little option but to ban it, as a means of keeping its own people safe." Does the Communist regiem really want to protect their people? They put thousands of thousands Falun Gong practitioners in jail, and torture them brutally in order to force them to give up their belief. It has been confirmed over 3000 people had been persecuted to death. Not only just Falun Gong practitioners, many Christians and human rights lawyers are being badly persecuted too.
  
  This web site has many pictures of the evidence of the persecution of Falun Gong in China. http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/special_column/p...
  
  And I also suggest you watch this video report by Unreported World to see how the Chinese government "protect" its people. http://chinaview.wordpress.com/2007/10/26/video...
• Elly
  Hi akrypti,
  Just saw your second post "I would like Americans to gain a clearer perspective of what the heck this stuff is." This is very interesting. haha. How can you give others a clearer perspective when you, yourself, are even not clear. I can't help asking: "have you read any Falun Gong books? Have you ever talk to any Falun Gong practitioners? Have you done any research on Falun Gong?" If you say no, I'm wondering what "clear" idea you can get about Falun Gong.
  
  It seems you've been repeatly emphasizing "Falun Gong killed many kids". Can you provide us some real cases you know about? This sounds to me just like Communist regiem constantly repeated its slandering on Chinese state-run media.
• Pat
  I like this article a lot and I think the reporter had done a fairly good job in portraying what FaLunGong practitioners have been doing to have their voices heard, through the media enterprises they set up. As a Chinese born and raised in mainland China, I'm really glad that their media are now major channels of telling the true China stories -- from revealing the truth of severely distorted history of the Sino-Japanese war from 1931- 1945 to more recent events of Cultural Revolution (or rather Cultural Annihilation as suggested by the author of Life and Death in Shanghai), the brutal crackdown of FaLunGong practitioners, and the many socioeconomic problems that are mostly rooted in the country’s badly corrupted bureaucratic system.
  
  The teaching of history in mainland China is all meant to be massive brain washing, and the sole purpose is to beautify the reign of the communist party. The Party, however, has ironically turned itself from 'the leader of workers and peasants' to the 'representative of the rich'. The inconsistency of its philosophical stand combined with its violent defense of its ruling power (through non-stop effort in making part of Chinese population the enemy of the state at any time points since 1949) makes one question the legitimacy of this regime and wonder whether to believe anything the party and the media it controls say.
  
  It took me a long way to come to this realization. I used to firmly believe that the killing of student protestants at Tianman Square is absolutely necessary to maintain the stability of the country and debated vehemently with my fellow students. Then I had a chance to travel to many rural areas in inland China, where I see destitution -- humans and pigs live under the safe roof, etc, you name it. While on the other hand, I was entertained by government officials from village up to ministerial levels, sat in their grandiose offices, and tasted the most unbelievable dishes on earth -- I learned their corruption, hypocrisy, and a total lack of conscience first-hand. Their propaganda of demonizing FaLunGong and its practitioners could never affect me. In fact, I began to doubt anything they say.
  
  I looked into the organ harvesting issue. The charge did appear to be too much out of our wildest imagination, but what else could be a logical alternative when the investigators (who are renowned human-rights lawyer and former Secretary of foreign affairs from Canada) found out that the waiting time for a donated organ in any developed country could be as long as 2-6 YEARS, while in China it is a mere 1-4 WEEKS!!! The big discrepancy of the nubmer of organ transplantation and the number of executed criminals strongly suggest that there is a big reservoir of organ donors, who are alive with blood tests thoroughly done. Most importantly, the organs are readily accessible, meaning that they can be slaughtered whenever there is a demand of their organs! Detained FaLunGong practitioners fit this profile the most, as in China they can be arrested without any reason/notice and they're portrayed by the state media as the untouchable, worse than leprosy patients in the Dark Age.
  
  I don't think the alleged crime is discredited by the mainstream media. I think they chose not to cover it mostly out of fear -- many have various vested interests in China's market, and they all have tough time in there. It's a shame that they dare not even ask the question -- Is it true? It also could be the story is simply too horrific believe for some of them – it is so similar that people did not believe / deny the possibility of the existence of Nazi concentration camps.
  
  The Olympics is just another political show. I personally anticipate a major economic recession/collapse in China afterwards (and I know I'm not the only one who think that way). With a GDP per capita ranked close to the 90th amongst all countries in the world, I couldn't help laughing at people who think China is now a major economic power. I've seen first hand what the true China is outside of Beijing, Shanghai and other burgs. You've got to admire what the Communist Government managed to sell to the world about China, I just don’t know what to say that people even buy it. Guys, it's just a gigantic shining bubble! Consuming the most cement and steel in the world could make the China bubble look big for some time, but when you see how ordinary people haggle over daily necessities sometimes to get a price one penny lower, you know they have no purchasing power and the bubble is due to blast someday.
  
  It is okay to love the country, the culture and the heritage but not the ruling government. FaLunGong practitioners don't kill little kids (but the fake milk powder did last year in China -- and no one was executed for the killing, BTW). The New Tang Dynasty TV has done a particularly good job in their Holiday Wonder/New Year show presenting the splendid ancient Chinese culture in dances. I've been there last year, and I'm going again...
• akrypti
  Okay, now you folks remind me of evangelical Christians. Knock a little on your religion and you go nuts.
  
  I'm a Chinese spy?
  
  Did I hear that correctly? Someone above accused me of being a Chinese spy? Joz, are you reading this, too?!
  
  There were several news reports throughout the past 8 years of Falun Gong occultists in rural China convincing families not to take their children to the hospitals when they fell ill and as a result, those children died. I'm sorry you think your religion is flawless. I have a religion, too, and yet I am more than willing to acknowledge the faults in that institution.
  
  You'll like this article, it's positive on your cult: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/401268.stm
  
  However, in there, it mentions a man who was convinced through indoctrination that there was a wheel in his stomach and thus he cut open his abdomen to see it.
  
  Here's another article online about some of the negative implications Falun Dafa has posed to Chinese citizens: http://www.rickross.com/reference/fa_lun_gong/f...
  
  What is the source of that article above? A non-profit organization here in the United States, a 501(c)(3). Unless you want to claim they're just a bunch of Chinese spies too... Here's about the institution per its About page:
  
  "The Rick A. Ross Institute (RRI) of New Jersey is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization devoted to public education and research. RRI's mission is to study destructive cults, controversial groups and movements and to provide a broad range of information and services easily accessible to the public for assistance and educational purposes."
  
  Here's a more positive tone in an article about Falun Gong: http://www.falundafa.org/book/eng/flg_2006_2.htm
  
  Do a Ctrl+F for "stomach"
  
  Ok. So I cartoonized what the Falun Dafa lady said to me when I went to a meeting. Fault me for that, but I didn't lie. They believe in something with regard to chi and the strength of that chi coming in a spiritual wheel near your tummy. To a teenage American, that sounds like there's a wheel in my stomach.
  
  Here's another article that calls Falun Gong a cult: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/english/19991...
  
  Granted, it's on People's Daily and I think People's Daily is crap.
  
  Here's another, a negative tone one: http://www.mingjing.org.cn/e-falun/opinions/opi...
  
  "Wheel of Buddha" in the stomach.
  
  Here is the Chinese Consulate: http://www.chinaconsulate.org.nz/eng/ztxw/flg/t...
  
  Lies or no, don't you folks want to hear what the Chinese opponents to Falun Gong have to say? Discern for yourself.
  
  Here's a Q&A; transcript with a Falun Gong practitioner:
  
  Rachael Kohn: In the West, people know a little bit about Falun Gong, and one of the things that they know most about is the Wheel of Law, that is the Wheel that is in your abdomen, and which the leader of Falun Gong has to implant in you. When did that happen to you?
  
  Jennifer Zeng: Sometimes some sensitive person may feel it when it has happened to you. But some people may not feel it physically because it is not something in this dimension where we can feel with our physical or flesh eyes, it is something that exists in another dimension. You may feel it or you may not feel it, but it exists, and it works, and that’s why so many people got cured of their very fatal illnesses.
  
  Rachael Kohn: But it’s something that the leader himself is responsible for implanting in you, a person can’t do it himself, as far as I understand.
  
  Jennifer Zeng: No, you understand right.
  
  Rachael Kohn: Well how did he know to implant the Wheel of Law in you? Did he know you? Have you ever met him?
  
  Jennifer Zeng: No, you don’t have to be – maybe this is something very profound. It is, if you want really to know all the mechanism behind all this, maybe you need to read the original book of Mr Li Hongzhi himself. He explained that although he cannot do it with his flesh or physical body in this dimension, but as an achieved or enlightened being, or achieved practitioner himself, he’s got law bodies in other dimensions, and his law bodies can take care of practitioners.
  
  ABC.net - Link: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/relig/spirit/stories/s...
  
  
  
  So DUDES and DUDETTES from the Falun Gong. Calm down. I don't think anyone should maim, torture, starve, or prod you up the anus with hot steel rods. I don't think anyone should pull a holocaust on you and then sell your organs off the black market.
  
  I do, however, think you kids need to calm the heck down. Not everyone who opposes your faith is a "Chinese spy." That's a new one, by the way. I have never been accused of being a Chinese spy by a white person here in America, which is actually the norm, and here I am being accused of being a Chinese spy by who I presume to be a Chinese person following Falun Gong. Seriously. A Chinese spy? I'm more likely to be persecuted by the Communist Party than YOU folks for some of the anti-China literature I've spread.
  
  Again, I'm glad the religion works for you and good luck with it. Another thing: I've met a LOT of Falun Gong practitioners over the years and you know what's universal among all of them? None of them is playing with a full deck, if you get my drift.
• ananasi
  Hi
  
  How come that we still on the internet see some chinese or other people, with some strange motivation, post stupidness with the most laughhable and ridiculous blatant lies? It's now 2007...
  
  Your words akrypti, is a shame, I must say that. It seems that education is a way to make people dumb. If you was on line with RAL human behaviour, then you shuld not say this awful words.
  
  I want to ask the web master to delete this insult brought her by akrypto.
• Confuse_Us
  ".... prod you up the anus with hot steel rods."
  
  Wait...that's the Moonies isn't it?
• Elly
  Hi akrypti,
  I'm very sorry if I made you feel I was saying "you were a Chinese spy". There has indeed been a lot of Chinese spies posting a lot of lies from Communist regiem trying to discredit Falun Gong.
  
  Thank you for finding all the articles. But did you realize that all the information sources were from Chinese state-run media - PeopleDialy, Chinese consulate, etc. Even the BBC news "The official news agency also reported ...". The Chinese state-run media has been well known as a tool to spread communist regime's prapaganda.
  
  Let's think about this. If Falun Gong really "kills a lot of people" as Chinese government claimed, but there has no death case report outside China? You know, there are thousands of people practicing Falun Gong around the world. My friend, hope you can think about this.
  
  I remember when 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre happened, what I saw on Chinese state-run TV was "no student was killed; the soldiers were killed". A very high ranking official said on TV that the soldiers did not fire a single bullet. I never saw any pictures or words about how the students were killed. After I came to America, I saw those pictures and realized I was so fooled by the Communist regime. I'm saying this is to let you know the Chinese state-run media is just a tool of the Cummunist regime to fool people.
  
  Regarding the law wheel, I do believe it exists in other dimensions, and I believe there are many dimensions existing in the universe, which we cannot see using our flesh eyes. The universe is so complex. Anyway, it's my belief. If you don't believe it, that's fine. I just feel what you said in your last post was not from Falun Gong:“... I have to do these exercises every day to get the wheel spinning right… if I can learn to control the wheel in my stomach, I will never get sick again…”.
• Bertie
  I think the problem can be solved if the Communist regime would just let people speak freely on the internet and let people access information freely on the internet. If they'll just stop blocking websites arbitrarily, not only will pro-Falun Gong sites be available, reasoned opinions like akrypti's will be accessible. People can debate, become educated, weigh the pros and cons of joining the religion/cult/whatever-you-call-it, and make an informed decision.
  
  Most Americans are aware that Scientology is a wacky cult, and this is because they are free to access information about it. When we run across someone who has bought into it hook, line and sinker, it becomes immediately clear that the practitioner has been brainwashed. They speak with a fervent absolutist zeal that is just. not. normal. After a lifetime of reading several points of view on a variety of topics - something that is, you know... allowed in America, one becomes trained in rooting out crazy ideas and crazy people from the multitude of viewpoints out there. Those who have not been exposed to freedom of speech may not be as adept at pinpointing opinions from those "not playing with a full deck."
  
  I say open the internet, China! (Oh, sorry, Ernie. I just got us banned.)
• Xxxtine
  I respectfully concur with Bertie's statement ...
  
  The government - itself - is afraid of losing control of the people. That the idea of change and creativity inconveniences many people (even if it's for a short time) - hence why something as radical as Falun Gong or any sort of religion is banned simply because it's not a uniformed controlled message. The party is afraid of any suggestions - where in fact - the people who have these ideas and suggestions only want to make things better and are not against the Party at all. In the end, it all comes down to a power struggle.
• John Y
  akrypti,
  
  First of all, let me try to clarify a little. The word "cult" (that you have been using) may carry whole lot more than you think when interpreted by a Chinese, it is very bad, and more so to a Chinese person who practices Falun Gong, because that is what the Communist party has been branding them. In American culture, "cult" is negative but milder, it doesn't carry the same weight as translated to Chinese. Similarly, the "yelled insults" in Kathy's article when referring to Wang Wenyi's yell at Hu at the White House, the "insults" when translated to English, seems more insulting than it is in its original Chinese context. That is just the culture difference. But trust me, it is more hurtful to a Falun Gong practitioner than you think when you use the word.
  
  As for religion, there's little to be said, you just cannot argue religiously. However, there are facts that we cannot avoid.
  
  Falun Gong, as a group, they have been brutally persecuted;
  
  Practitioners are peaceful, nonviolent;
  
  The CCP has been slandering Falun Gong and attempts to impress people with horrifying images, like cutting one's self open;
  
  The practice has spread to Asian countries like Korea, Taiwan with good popularity, and other parts of the world. That fact alone indicates that Falun Gong is healthy and beneficial.
  
  Perhaps no one plays the full deck, but we know in fact that we are playing.
  
  Here's the point that I'm trying to make - media reports could be misleading, and some are intended to do just that. (btw, People's Daily is just not worth mentioning as a credible reference) We should care less about the little details (because they could be easily forged) and observe the big picture. Let's not be so picky about Falun Gong, simply because they are under persecution and people are dying for no good reasons. No one today would blame the Jews for things that could have been done to ease the Nazi madness but they did not. It's not fair to expect too much from people who are brutalized. What we should do is to help, not to criticize the helpless. In the case of Falun Gong, they have been firmly and consistently fighting for their basic rights against the strongest remaining communists for 8 years, and they do it effectively in a peaceful and rational way. That, in my humble opinion, is admirable.
• akrypti
  Johnny, my dear, do you know the difference between "fact" and "opinion"? Come here, darling, sit on Auntie Akrypti's lap and let me explain to you the difference.
  
  What you said: "Falun Gong, as a group, they have been brutally persecuted."
  
  Brutally? That is OPINION.
  
  Fact: "Falun Gong, as a group, have been persecuted by certain members of the Chinese Communist Party."
  
  What you said: "Practitioners are peaceful, nonviolent."
  
  Peaceful? Non-violent? OPINIONS.
  
  Fact: "Falun Gong practitioners exist."
  
  What you said: "The CCP has been slandering Falun Gong and attempts to impress people with horrifying images, like cutting one’s self open."
  
  Slandering? Slander = legal term. Unless you have sufficient evidence, you can't just throw that word around. Horrifying? OPINION.
  
  Fact: Um...yeah, no idea.
  
  Okay too lazy to go on.
  
  Ananasi: Why would the webmaster censor my opinions? Contrary to your belief, we're not run by the Chinese Communist Party and therefore we do not censor opposition, which is why your post is even up. I'm the one who approved it. Irony. Isn't it?
• John Y
  akrypti,
  
  I think you'd agree that the idea is to express and communicate, and to communicate effectively. It would be extremely boring if everything was expressed in "legal term".
  
  Regardless of whether you like my way of communication or not, you understood my point, I think.
  
  Expressing different or conflicting ideas is ok, that is freedom of speech. I try to be reasonable and with less negativity. I apologize if there's anything in my post that you see as confrontational.
• Mark
  akrypti,
  
  I'm glad you said "I’m vehemently against the Communist Party’s approach and clearly it is wrong to persecute Falun Gong practitioners."
  
  But, it seems to me that you would rather listen to, and help spread, lies from the CCP than to pay attention to the facts. Sorry, just my opinion.
  
  Falun Dafa is good.
• Lorraine
  Hello all you Chinafiles, especially akrypti. Have you read The Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party which details its short 50 odd year history which includes the unnatural deaths of 80 million Chinese nationals? Falun Gong practitioners are just one more focus group to add to the casualty list of the CCP. Now when even CCP members are openly calling for the end to the persecution of Falun Gong and over 28 million CCP members have renounced their affiliation with the CCP, you still need to assert your loyalty to the CCP based on the CCP's irrational, immoral and unconstitutional persecution of Falun Gong. Too bad you want to side with murder and torture instead of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance ie the principles of Falun Gong.
• Russ
  Falun Dafa is good. Falun Dafa encourages people to be good, and allows a practitioner to freely study and enlighten to the priciples on their own. There are no membership requirements. Falun Dafa asks that you be a law abiding citizen. It encourages you to take good care of your mind and body. It does not engage in the persecution of any other individual or group. You can practice Dafa if you want to and if you don't want to no one will persecute you or prohibit you from following your own path, in fact it is encouraged that you do follow your own path. We all have our own issues to enlighten to.
  It is not reasonable to expect everybody to understand Dafa or be a practitioner. All we ask is for the right to practice with out retribution. That should be a universal right to all of humankind; to practice your spirituality as you wish without fear of retribution.
  Please realize that Falun Dafa, as well as, other spiritual beliefs ARE persecuted in China. The organ harvesting is real and the Chinese government has not been able to adequately refute that.
  
  Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance are the fundamental principles of Falun Dafa. Those are qualities that all of humankind could use more of, whatever spiritual path you choose.
  
  Thank you
• jane H
  Akaypti,
  In order to figure out why you have such inrational opinion toward Falun Gong, I want to know some your background information. From your website, you told us that you are second generation of Taiwaness American. I feel very bad to read all your articles and your feedback to others for this point. It extremely hurt all chinese people who have been persecuting genenation to genenation by evil Chinese Commuinst regime since 1949 to now.
  I was born in China and grew up there until 24 years old. I made the strong efforts to escapted from China to oversea because I hate CCP( chinese communist party), I deeply felt how the freedom is worth than my life. However CCP never regard Freedom as the normal human rights, and treat Chinese people with gun fires any times and any reasons.
  As a Taiwanese, you may not have kind of experience than most Chinese people have in mainland China. So, you believe eveything what the CCP medias said and applis these slanderous words as a sort of evidence to be foolly decieved by it.
  Sadly enough, as a Taiwanese, your parents may not tell you about what the true history of how Chinese people have been brutally killed decades by decades. I like history so much since it provides us the lesson which we need to learn. However, throughout more 50 years, we are not able to read the true history, all from our school test books and medias are lies. I was rasied by my grandparents, my grandma had told me something which is totally different from what I had learned from the school and books. I would not question what my grandma told me since she was the person who loved me most in the world. When I got older, I learned something from my own eyes, I realized that all my grandma had said was ture. CCP is evil enough to go hell.
  I no longer believe what all medias say something from CCP, all medias is just a tool of CCP' to decieve and fool chinese people. It is sort of successful to fool people in China and outside of china. look like you, who was born in U.S where is free land, and have same chinese cultural background, I must say sorry, but you are definetely the exmple of how been fooled and decived by CCP lies.
  From what you copied the vicious words to slander the Falun Gong practitioners, I did feel hurt, not for myself since I am a Falun Dafa practitioner, just for you. You oridinary have a pure mind, but now it is no longer pure, it is dirted by CCP lies.
  many of feedback from all chinese or Americans, all try to help you to have a right thoughts about Falun gong. However, you not only show me that you just ignore the right points from them, but you attacked on their kindness.
  What is Falun Gong, when I was a college stuent in China, it was middle of 1980s, the periods of all kinds Qingong were popular. I was interested in all supernatural practices. I left China in 1992. I have never heard about Falun Gong at that time. I heard it when it was 1999 since it was baned by CCP. Following my common sense, everything which was banned and attacked by CCP means the good enough. It is very simple. how could the demon not against the Angle?
  I tried to find the book to read it. Finally, I didn't find any word which were cited to attack our Master from CCP medias. It was a good book to teach people how to be a good person. that was first impression on me, after I skipped reading Zhuan Falun. I didn't have thought to want be a practitioner since I was practiaing the Dao school for more five years.
  After I came to U.S, one day I met the Falun Gong practitioners in the park of LA, I read the materials on the floor, I was shocked by all brutal persecutions, I never doubt if these materials are not ture. It is because I have read the Book already, I know what they have to follow the Truthfulness, compassion and foberance. As Master Li said that if you are not follow these principle, just do exercise, I won't regard you as my student.( it is not quote,just the main meanings), another reason I know how evil the CCP is, and how many innocent Chinese people have been tortured to death throughout the 50 years of CCP controlling. My grandparents had been tortured as well even thought they were very kind and innocent chinese. My grandpa had been sent to labor campus for more than 15 years. During WWI, he was in the army of the former government( which is government in Taiwan now). The CCP killed so many chinese who had work for former government. My grandpa was luck because his son-in-law who is my father was a kind of CCP official. If your grand preants were from Mainland China in 1949, they must know how brutally their old co-workers been killed by CCP.
  The reason of that I walked in the gate of practicing Falun gong is that simple: I was so touched by these group people who take the risk of their lives to tell the world: falun dafa is good. At that moment when I konw that in the another place of this world, so many such good chinese people are torturing and eventually been killed day by day, my heart was no longer intereted in anything than this issue. I told myself to help this group people becasue of the value of freedom. I was seeking the freedom since I was in college, for seeking the freedom, I have to leave my elderly grandparents whom need my help. My grandma knew how the CCP had killed people, so she told me if you had any chance to get away from China, just go, to find your own free life.
  
  you are been the free land, you never know how the Chinese people for been killed just for the freedom of their right. To do meditation, just as a air of our breath everyday here, but in China, our Falun Gong practitioners had to die for this.
  I don't think that I need to tell you more about the brutal killing happening in China now. All you cite the information here are directly and indirectly from CCP slanderious propangada.
  Please, my friend, learn something with your mind, and listen to the truth. It is just good for you and your life.
  Since you are young, and your life is pretty long jounery, however if we are not able to idetify what is good from evil, then our lives would be blocked...without any brightness..
  hope, and very sincerely hope you have righteous thoughts with Falun Dafa.
  Truthfulness, Compassion, and Torelance. the world today does urgely need these principle. each of our pracitioner would like to tell you thousand true stories about how these principles have improved our own live's quality, as well as our physical condition.
  Yes, I didn't take any medicine since I rarely get sick. I work hard everyday, I don't feel tired due to my practice Falun Gong. How wonderful it is for my life. Peaceful mind and perfect body.
  
  Sorry for my long letter. I just want to be your friend, and tell you what my life experience througout...
  Jane Huang
• Pan Jie (Jason P.)
  I am a Westerner, but I have lived and worked in China, and I have volunteered my time in the Chinese community here in states, teaching English, doing dragon dance performances, and especially trying to help people understand that Falun Gong is very peaceful and that it is not a "cult". The truth is that many of us here in the U.S. have innocent friends and relatives in China who have been persecuted, tortured and murdered under the Chinese Communist Party. So we know first-hand that the reports by human rights groups, the United Nations, and many governments that detail the persecution and torture of innocent Chinese citizens who practice Falun Gong (such as torturing and even killing people and selling their organs) are based on facts, eye-witness and personal accounts, and even the dead, mutilated bodies of loved ones who died in Chinese prisons or labor camps.
  
  After reading Akrypti's several posts on this topic, it doesn't matter to me if Akrypti works for the Chinese gov't or not, but it is clear that they are spreading the same hate, lies, and propaganda about Falun Gong and even have a vast collection of propaganda articles just for that task. I don't know if Akrypti has a belief, but I know that beliefs are what make people different than animals on a farm. I also know that Akrypti is a human being and so I hope that they will stop spreading hatred and misinformation, take a step back, and consider things again. Akrypti, please don't respond by saying that human rights groups and governments like the U.S. and Canada are reporting the torture and murder of thousands of innocent Chinese people who practice Falun Gong because they want to ruin the reputation of China ahead of the Olympics or that they are the "anit-China forces". The fact is that we Americans, us average citizens, do care a great deal about Chinese people who are victims of human rights abuses... not because we have something to gain, but because we know we are the lucky ones, and we have compassion for those who are suffering. Take care Akrypti,
  Pan Jie
• chris
  I am 31, married and runs a successful business, I came to the states from China when I was 13 so I treasure democracy and respect human rights. I've been following Falun Dafa for 8 years and if someone say I'm in a "evil cult", I take it personally because what Falun Gong asks me to do is nothing but "truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance." What I have obtained is nothing but good health and inner peace. I understand very well why people have this wrongful perception of Falun Gong, and I'll do my very best to let them know the truth that Falun Gong is good.
  Been here long enough, I don't care about the CCP or politics. However, the Chinese Communist Party have hurt everyone through this persecution and propaganda. Anyone who benefit from DAFA and have some sense would take action and do the least which is tell the world the truth.
• akrypti
  Mama taught me never to believe people who claim to speak the truth. Truth speaks for itself.
  
  Falun Dafa is very likely a system of values, beliefs, and practices that have the potential to help people find spiritual well-being.
  
  However, a large number of individuals who claim to be Falun Gong followers do not play with a full deck and many of those individuals have shown themselves and their psychoses right here on this page. If there was even a 1% chance before that I would consider respecting the Falun Gong institution as it is today, that 1% chance has been annihilated by you overzealous fanatics. I thought my previous encounter with followers had been one isolated experience of sheer negativity, but this has reaffirmed my perception that your institution as it presents itself to the public today is nothing more than a religious cult.
  
  That's right. A cult. Look up the definition of "cult" [in an English dictionary] and all its elements apply to the Falun Gong institution in its present form.
  
  Yay. Flame-bait. Who wants a nibble?
• chris
  very lucky to be part of this "cult", the best thing ever happened to me. if people pay me a billion dollars to get out of it, i wouldn't do so.
• John
  akrypti,
  
  I don't think your flaming comments are all that helpful. I don't know much about the Falun Gong, so I don't know if I could compare it to Scientology or other beliefs such as Mormonism. But I think a more respectful tone towards debate would be appreciated by all.
  
  John
• Bertie
  Which group is more zealous?
  
  (1) Falun Gong practitioners
  
  or
  
  (2) Ron Paul supporters
  
  Discuss.
  
  :)
• Robertson
  Wow, an active few days. I think there has been some overzealous responses from Falun Gong supporters; but this is inevitable. There is no membership or process of officialisation, and no one can stop anyone from saying anything. But I don't think some of these comments were the most useful.
  
  Akrypti position is also inevitable.
  
  Lao Zi said: "When a wise person hears the Tao, this person will practice it diligently. When an average person hears it, this person will practice it on and off. When a foolish person hears it, this person will laugh at it loudly. If this person doesn’t laugh at it loudly, it’s not the Tao."
  
  But there are two points that anyone should be able to agree with: Falun Gong is innocent; the persecution is wrong.
  
  It doesn't matter if Falun Gong is talking about flying spaghetti monsters and floating purple aliens with giant heads, or whatever ridiculous thing you can think of. For all practical purposes, as far as we are concerned, it may as well be talking about things like that. But it is free for anyone to do or not do, believe or not believe. The same goes with the teachings about medication. There are no edicts, no mechanisms of control, coercion, or exploitation. It is in essence a free, informal, and peaceful discpline. One either applies oneself to it or not. This is not an opinion. Falun Gong is a set of exercises and a series of free teachings. That's the objective reality of the situation. You can think it's a load of crap, but as far as it goes, it's not guilty of any wrongdoing. I won't say much about the persecution. Just look it up on the net; read the wikipedia article or something. It's an incredibly vile, disgusting, and truly evil thing.
  
  It's not hard to pick the right side here, and that's all Falun Gong practitioners have been trying to get people to do.
• Wayne George
  Show me the country who does not seize an opportunity to support human rights and I'll show you a country that seals its own fate.
  
  This WSJ journalist and this country should be the first in line to suppport Falun Gong in its efforts to stand up against the persecution of those who practice Falun Gong-- a peaceful meditation practice. So what if NTDTV chooses to be the outlet for voices that have been forever silenced under communist oppression? So what? Maybe its so that you and I can have a chance to do something about it if we're brave enough--if we care enough--if we're not too complacent in enjoying our own freedom.
  
  If the TV station is functioning with volunteers who give of their own means to keep it going, then shame on the huge media corporations who have money but give us trashy, irresponsible journalism for our "entertainment." There is little moral imperative anywhere nowadays--and when we see it in action, we either can't recognize it or we throw stones at it.
  
  Wake up America! Maybe you media giants should take a lesson from New Tang Dynasty TV. Dig hard for the facts and give it to us straight!
  
  Wayne G.
• Mr Lee
  Akrypti is right! Falun Gong is "Full-of-It"! My Mother was so deep into practicing their cult religion, that it almost split my family apart. At times she would be starving herself, acting like she's in a trance, and thinking she had special powers. I have also seen the protestors that sit in front of the Chinese Embassy in San Francisco, and they all act like they are in a trance. Go try and talk to them and see what kind of magic powers they have - I heard their Dear Leader can walk through walls. I read a book about cults and part of the "practice" of starvation is to keep the mind and body off-balance, so the followers can be weak and easily controlled. Hey, if you find yourself or your family joining them - be prepared for someone who behaves "perfectly normal, and resonable" one moment, but then turn around the next minute and start staring at you like they can see your aura or something. I would rather my Mom be a Scientologist any day - than be a Falun Gong - at least Scientologists don't starve - they just believe in space aliens and become actors in Hollywood. Bring on the comments this is the truth.
• tim
  Based on what Mr. Lee indicated, his mother should be seeking medical attention, but, what does that have anything to do with Falun Gong?! I bet if anyone is willing to spend some time with Falun Gong people will conclude that they are normal people like everyone else. Of course, everyone has his or her priority, and Falun Gong practitioners happen to be busier with their effort to clarify misconceptions like what "Mr Lee" has posted above.
  
  By the way, if someone were to randomly survey at a Falun Gong gathering, like their periodic experience sharing conference or large scale parade, he or she would find that the average education level of these people is very high, likely above US average.
• to Mr. Lee
  Your mom is sick and need help and don't blame this on FLG.
• Goldman
  That methods of religious practice believe in gods, ailens, or reinkarnation does not make is a cult or a sect. If that was the case nrmal science would be a cult becuase it belives humans very likely develop from monkies. I think people aer focusing on the wrong htings here if they like to discuss if falun gong is a cult or not. It is not hte belief system but the behavior among people in the same sysetm as well as a systems leadership towards those that follow that can make something become a cult. To dfend falun gong with saying it is only about following a princple of being true good and forebearant says nothing of hte people practicing it still not being a cult.
  Lee says he has a mother that, "At times she would be starving herself, acting like she’s in a trance, and thinking she had special powers. I have also seen the protestors that sit in front of the Chinese Embassy in San Francisco, and they all act like they are in a trance. Go try and talk to them and see what kind of magic powers they have - I heard their Dear Leader can walk through walls. I read a book about cults and part of the “practice” of starvation is to keep the mind and body off-balance, so the followers can be weak and easily controlled. Hey, if you find yourself or your family joining them - be prepared for someone who behaves “perfectly normal, and resonable” one moment, but then turn around the next minute and start staring at you like they can see your aura or something." This could very wel be a start of someone falling into a cult. Thogh, It does not have to be so. That people in the US with high education practice falun gong doesn't say much about it being could either. Mostt cults look for wealthy people. Just look at Tom Cruise. He is the one celebrity to spend most money on his belief. The scientologist church is a cult. Their are so many witness stories and police reports showing how they used mind controll to harm people so this is a common knowledge in the US. Falun gong is still pretty new in the US and so one would not find that many people that have left it yet to hear stories of how it really is. A person in high belief of any system will to a certain degree be mind controlled. Even our children get mind controlled by our educatinal system while in school and find out as adults that a lot of things weren't just as they were taught. Though, tto judge if a mind controlling system is harmful lies more in what affects teh system has on the indivudual and his or her relation to ones family. If the induvidual choices get lost while practicing something over time family members should be concerned. Please consider this when discussing if falun gong is a cult or not.
• Pan Jie
  What 'Mr. Lee' writes above is a fiction of the lowest common denominator, like the propaganda in the nightmarish novel "1984". Just like the "double-speak" practiced by the authoritarian government in "1984" (where what the government says is just the opposite of the truth), it is widely known in human rights, government, and academic circles today that what frightens the Chinese Communist leadership most about Falun Gong practitioners is just that their minds cannot be easily controlled, and so they say that Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong are trying to control people's minds. That is a "double-speak".
  
  I have read Mr. Li Hongzhi's (the founder of Falun Gong) books, and Falun Gong does not teach "fasting," does not teach "trance", and does not teach people to be off-balance. Quite the opposite, in his books, Li Hongzhi explains the origin of "fasting" as related to qigong and why Falun Gong does not incorporate this technique; he explains why Buddhist monks traditionally meditate in a state of trance and why Falun Gong does not practice in a state of trance and why practitioners should not lose awareness when practicing; and he talks about the ancient Chinese principle of the "middle way" and why it is important in life not to go to extremes and that practitioners of Falun Gong should maintain harmony in the family, think of others first in every situation, and be kind. He also goes to great length to explain why "truth-compassion-tolerance" is the characteristic of the universe.
  
  I do not know why 'Mr. Lee' writes the things he does, but I can tell you first-hand that the same kind of hate fodder can be found coming from the communist Chinese state-controlled media beginning in 1999 (when the government began to persecute the practice). At that time, Falun Gong had become the most popular form of qigong in China, with a Chinese government census estimating that between 70-100 million people were practicing. I think that all it would take to know for yourself that what Mr. Lee has written are truly "double-speak," would be to read the original books of Falun Gong (www.falundafa.org), or you could could do as he suggested and go and speak to the Falun Gong practitioners in front of the Chinese embassy in San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, New York, etc. For the most part, they are retired old Chinese folk; they are quite rational, and they are there appealing for human rights because people in their country are being persecuted. Mr. Lee must assume that the majority of the people on the web have neither the time, ability, or the willingness to seek out the truth on their own. That is also precisely why lies can stand as truth for so long in a country like Communist China.
  
  To my dismay, in my travels in China, I met Chinese people, even in Beijing, who still don't know that students were shot down in cold-blood in the 1989 Tiananman Square Massacre. In Communist China, the media reports that it was the students who attacked the soldiers in the so-called "Tiananmen Square Student Riots". When I showed the photo of the boy standing in front of the tank to a Chinese colleague of mine, she said that she didn't believe it and that it could have been made in Photoshop. I could hardly believe my ears. Time Magazine rated that photo one of the top 100 photos of the century! Now that really shows how strong and perverse a grip the Chinese Communist government has over people.
  
  However, I think we all know that grip is fast losing its hold. Things are changing in China. Information is spreading. Even as the Chinese Communist regime last year spent over a billion dollars to "purify the Internet", and more recently, the regime recently passed a new law banning all streaming video content in China except for that on state-controlled websites staring in Jan-Feb 2008, still, more and more people are finding out different truths every day, and they are sharing with each other what they know and heard. Bye-bye 'Mr. Lee.'
• Mr Lee
  The Falun Gong members are trying to frame this issue as a "Human Rights" issue - but this is a personal story that I am sharing with others, and yet I am being attacked by this Nazi-like Machine of the Falun Gong. Who is the "Human Rights" advocate here? You people sound more like Nazis by trying to attack my personal story. You are worse than what you critcize others for, because you are hypocrites by attacking me personally.
• akrypti
  I did not want to comment again on this post, but I'm offended and completely outraged at the attack against Mr. Lee and his mother. His mother! For crying out loud, attack the theoretical content of his arguments and leave his mother out of it!
  
  He took a step in a very vulnerable direction by sharing his personal story about his mother and how it affected his family. RESPECT THAT.
  
  By the way, "a fiction of the lowest common denominator"? What does that even MEAN? Do you THINK before you write or do you just write in a fit?
• Goldman
  the opposing thinking of laws between the states and China are always an issue that seems to be never ending. In the states there seems to not be any direct law against cults as there is in China. China has always had harsher rules towrds its' people while the states let people live more freely. Free to a degree that China does not tolerate. So the Chinese state always argue that the US is a lose cannon with a bunch of amoral people. The Chinese regime prevents everyone from learning falun gong because they see it as a cult and that does not have so much to do especially with falun gong as it has to do with the system itself. A lot of things are proherbited to practice in China. Think about it, In the states people would still be able to freely follow falun gong no matter if it is a cult or not. There are many cults in the states and they are all legal to practice. So saying that falun gong is practiced all over the world and only in China they don't permit it is not a proof of falun gong not being a cult. It only tells that the democratic system exists in most countries in the world today. And these countries accept a lot of things from other cultures no matter they are good or not for people to follow. The Chinese government says they have stronger rules because they want to protect the people from what is not good for them. To have onces goverment telling you what is good or not is of course an issue that can be discussed in itself. Who decides what is good or bad for us? If falun gong is a cult who decides who should be allowed to practice it? where is the limit of how much harm it can bring up on people? Should our parents decides for us? Should our children decide for us becasue they consider us ill and old now? Should your goverment becasue they have an agenda and have banned it? What if your parents say that you cannot practice falun gong and you don't like what your parents say, can you revolt against them? What if your goverment tells you the same that you cannot practice falun gong what should you do then?
• John Y
  There is a chance to see some Falun Gong practitioners in case anyone interested:) NTDTV has its annual Chinese New Year Spectacular in CA later this month. The show is educational while being entertaining with world class performances. It introduces the rich culture of the ancient China to the west through form of art. This year's Spectacular is for the first time co-sponsored by Falun Dafa (aka Falun Gong) association. Many of the performers in the Divine Performing Arts troupe (with a live orchestra) are actually Falun Gong practitioners. Visit bestchineseshows.com for more information. There's a highlights video at http://www.bestchineseshows.com/2008intro
  
  The show will make stops in LA, SF, SD among many other US cities in January before they start their world tour that will cover many countries in Euro, Australia, and Asia including Taiwan.
  
  Here is some CA show info:
  
  2008-01-15 / 01-17
  San Diego, CA, US
  California Center for the Arts, Escondido
  
  2008-01-18 / 01-20
  Los Angeles, CA, US
  Nokia Theatre L.A.
  
  2008-01-23 / 01-26
  San Francisco, CA, US
  Orpheum Theatre
• Goldman
  Seems like the show was not what it was advertised to be. Read this article by Bob Young.
  "Friday, January 11, 2008
  By Bob Young
  The audience at the “Chinese New Year Spectacular” at the Opera House
  didn’t have to wait long to discover there was more to this cultural
  showcase than advertised.
  A few lines into soprano Min Jiang’s operatic ballad “I Sing for You,”
  the subtitles on a giant screen began laying out the not-so-subtle subtext.
  Pointed phrases damned the Communist Chinese government’s attacks on
  “our glorious culture” and its repressive tactics against Falun Gong,
  the self-improvement-through-spirituality movement whose philosophy
  permeated the show."
  Seems like there is a hidden agenda in this show.
• Robert
  I've had the same experience when I went to check out their meetings.
  
  As soon as they said that I could fly if I practiced enough, I was out of there. I've also heard of the "don't take medicine and all your ailments will disappear."
  
  What a bunch of crackpots. It's no different than voodoo magic where belief overrides science.
• John Y
  Here's the full story on the Boston Spectacular show by Bob Young of Boston Herald.
  
  http://bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_cult...
  
  
  ‘Chinese New Year’ is a spectacular
  By Bob Young
  Saturday, January 12, 2008
  
  The audience at the “Chinese New Year Spectacular” at the Opera House didn’t have to wait long to discover there was more to this cultural showcase than advertised.
  
  A few lines into soprano Min Jiang’s operatic ballad “I Sing for You,” the subtitles on a giant screen began laying out the not-so-subtle subtext.
  
  Pointed phrases damned the Communist Chinese government’s attacks on “our glorious culture” and its repressive tactics against Falun Gong, the self-improvement-through-spirituality movement whose philosophy permeated the show.
  
  It was clear that the “Spectacular” was an earnest effort to offer up what its Falun Gong-affiliated presenter, New Tang Dynasty Television, argues is an important part of Chinese heritage and culture. So earnest, in fact, that the Chinese government recently put pressure on California and New York politicians to not recognize the event, currently on its fourth annual world tour.
  
  The show’s 150-person troupe did a good job of presenting its case. The two-and-a-half-hour program featured dancers and singers in a dazzling array of costumes, and a crack orchestra that seamlessly fused Chinese and Western classical instrumentation.
  
  Together, they put a high gloss on segments ranging from 12th century military adventures and Mongolian bowl dancing to fan dancing and the power of thelotus blossom.
  
  Bright background scenes underscored the idealized tone with rainbows arching above flowered meadows and sun rays kissing snowy mountain ranges.
  
  Two peppy hosts followed their scripts precisely, explaining between musical numbers what the audience would see and hear, and what it meant. Some of these bits were as obvious as the hammer and sickle on the backs of black-clad police thugs who beat Falun Gong members in one dance number. Explanations were welcome in other numbers, particularly those where the plot revolved around divine visitors, fate and deities.
  
  While a number of performers stood out - lead dancers Wendy Su and Leon Chao among them - and the show’s choreography was competent enough, it likely took a true Falun Gong disciple to declare this Chinese New Year show spectacular. Mixing politics, religion and art is tricky business, and best received when the art transcends the agenda.
• Goldman
  The above seem to show just how FG might mainpulate people."Mixing politics, religion and art is tricky business, and best received when the art transcends the agenda." Their agenda seem to be to use NLP ecniques and manipulte people with subtile messages while seeing a lot of colourful dancing.