You know, the Chinese Communist Party would like nothing more than to have all Chinese people living under its benevolent rule. But there’s a problem. A lot of Chinese people don’t live in China. So that puts them out of reach of the Chinese Communist Party.
Just kidding.
In fact, there’s a branch of the government dedicated to just, let’s call it, extending the Party’s reach—the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, or as I like to call it, The Ministry of You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide.
I’ve often met people from mainland China, now living in the United States, who just won’t talk about certain issues. It’s like, even though they’re outside China, they’re afraid someone’s watching them.
Turns out, there is.
In fact, outside China, the Party often uses so-called third-party groups, who on the surface seem to be unaffiliated with Chinese authorities, to keep an eye on overseas Chinese and spread the Party’s message.
Here’s an example. Loyal China Uncensored readers know that recently there have been arrests and investigations of high-ranking members of former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin’s faction, like Zhou Yongkang. These are people who made their fortunes and amassed incredible power from Jiang’s persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual practice.
So now that they’re gone, shouldn’t things be getting better for Falun Gong? Well, it turns out, at least outside China, things are getting worse.
‘Concentric Patriotism’
In Taiwan earlier this month, Falun Gong practitioners were being physically assaulted outside of the landmark Taipei 101 building. Yes, that’s right. In Taiwan, by people waving the Communist Party’s flag right in people’s faces. Literally in their faces.
They call themselves the Concentric Patriotism Association of the Republic of China, even thought they’re waving the flag of the country that has vowed to conquer the Republic of China, aka Taiwan, by force if necessary.
And when shouting slogans like, “Long live the Communist Party,” and singing propaganda songs like “There is no ‘New China’ without the Communist Party,” you’ve got to wonder who’s funding these guys.
Now this group has been active for years, but this is definitely a recent escalation. According to the association’s constitution, its goal is the unification of Taiwan with the mainland. And apparently, according to the association, Falun Gong practitioners are poisoning that relationship. The 10,000 students of the Sunflower Revolution who protested that Taiwan-China trade pact? Totally Falun Gong’s fault.
Nonsense in NYC
It’s not just Taiwan that’s seeing more anti-Falun Gong activity following the downfall of Zhou Yongkang. Things have been getting dicey right here in New York City. Since the official announcement that Zhou was under investigation, a group called the Chinese Anti-Cult World Alliance has been doggedly tagging Falun Gong activities in the city.
So when I heard about this group, obviously my first thought was, I have to go check it out. Just a few feet away from where Falun Gong practitioners have set up booths to hand out fliers talking about the persecution they face in China, the anti-cult alliance has set up its own booths to hand out fliers smearing Falun Gong. One guy gave me a flier in English from which I learned “the Highest State of Falun Gong is to be heartless,” that it’s a “bizarre cult,” and “anyone who dabbles in Falun Gong nonsense automatically loses any claim to Italian heritage.”
What?
And it’s strange: Group members wouldn’t say why they were doing this. They were clear though that they definitely were not being paid by anyone. Definitely not.
So the Chinese Anti-Cult World Alliance is an extension of the Chinese Anti-Cult Association, which operates inside of China and is the public arm of the 610 Office, the Gestapo-like organization set up by the Party to eradicate Falun Gong. But because it’s hard to extend the persecution to other countries through official channels, one of its members suggested that anti-cult organizations could be set up around the world on the local level that could be funded by the Chinese government through overseas businesses with ties to the regime.
But these people in Flushing? Naw, they’re not getting paid, even though their leader, Michael Chu, who lives in Queens, is pretty clear about his ties to the Chinese regime.
For one, his business card states he’s the director of the China Oversea Exchange Association, which is a part of that Overseas Chinese Affairs Office. It also states he’s VP of the New York Association for Peaceful Unification of China. That’s a branch of the United Front Work Department and answers to the highest levels of Party leadership. Oh, did I mention both the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and the United Front Work Department have been accused of foreign espionage?
Hong Kong has its version, too, the Hong Kong Youth Care Association that has been extra-active since rumors of Zhou’s house arrest swirled at the beginning of this year.
Instant Karma!
And again, this all goes back to Zhou Yongkang. According to Amnesty International, in December 2007, Zhou delivered a speech about the need for social stability and, “We must strike hard at hostile forces at home and abroad.” One of those hostile foreign forces he mentioned was Falun Gong.
A few months later, violent, large-scale anti-Falun Gong mobs went on a rampage in Flushing, New York, home of the World Anti-Cult Alliance. Very interesting.
Sources in Flushing told the Epoch Times that Zhou even sent a “Daring to Struggle” award to one of the major players in the attacks.
And here’s the thing. Right now, the last thing I would want out there for people to see is pictures of me accepting an award from Zhou Yongkang. He’s going down. And everyone close to him is going along for the ride.
For years, these kinds of groups have been getting funding from the Communist Party, and now their political patrons are being taken out. People on the wrong side of factional infighting in the Communist Party don’t always have the longest lifespans.
I think the surge in activity of these groups is them panicking. They want to make a big show that they’re still loyal to the Communist Party in hopes that it will save their skins.
But what they don’t realize is that the very things they’re doing in persecuting Falun Gong are going to be their own downfall. That’s karma for you.
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