WASHINGTON—Several congressmen spoke at an afternoon news conference Jan. 27 on Capitol Hill, raising strong objections to the denial of visas by Hong Kong immigration officials—only three days before departure time—to seven members of the Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company. The company said it was forced to cancel its Hong Kong tour, scheduled for Jan. 27-31, impacting over 7,700 ticket holders. The seven Hong Kong performances were sold out.
Hong Kong immigration stated that the Shen Yun technical people can be replaced by local labor. But company spokespersons emphatically stated that the seven crew members are an integral part of Shen Yun Performing Arts, are highly trained in Shen Yun’s specific artistic requirements, and it would be impossible to do the show to its high standard without them.
According to lighting engineer Chia-hwa Tsai, who was one of the seven whose visa application was denied, companies such as American Ballet Theater, Disney on Ice, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, ... all have their own lighting designer, sound engineer, and projection operator. It requires time to know the show and study and work together to provide the best effect on the stage. This is really a common practice in this industry.”
Later, one of the seven was granted a visa, but that did not change the company’s capacity to perform.
“It is very disappointing that Hong Kong didn’t grant the visas which led to the cancellation of the shows,” said Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), who attended Shen Yun’s Jan. 20 performance at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C.
Congressman Bilirakis had sent a letter Thursday Jan. 21 to the director of Immigration of Hong Kong, urging Hong Kong immigration authorities to approve Shen Yun staff entry visas, then not yet approved. On Friday Jan. 22 Hong Kong authorities denied entry visas for six members of Shen Yun Performing Arts, forcing Shen Yun to cancel its Hong Kong performances.
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) said in a prepared press statement that the real reason the visas were denied is that Shen Yun Performing Arts group “dare to tell the story of Falun Gong. ... The Communist leaders are so insecure that they fear just a handful of actors could pull back the veil of propaganda and show the people what is really going on in their own country.”
Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao (R-La.), speaking at a Jan. 27 Capitol Hill press event about the cancellation, echoed Rep. Rohrabacher saying, “The Chinese government is trying to suppress any kind of expression that will challenge their right to supremacy, their right to govern their people with a totalitarian grip.”
Washington Press Club Press Conference
On the same day as the congressmen’s Capitol Hill press conference, another press conference was held earlier a few miles away at the Washington Press Club, where members of the company voiced their shock and frustration.
The Shen Yun company’s master of ceremonies, Leeshai Lemish, said “Given that the reason they gave us is illogical, against common practices, we are only left to assume there were other motivations for blocking our show.” He explained, “We are exposing through art in a way that people can relate to and shed tears over something that [the communist regime has] been trying to hide and spent enormous resources trying to hide.”
Lemish said that for over a decade the Chinese communist regime has “made every effort, diplomatic, financial, buying people, trying to hide [the persecution of Falun Gong], not letting people know about it and our show just puts it on stage for millions of people each year, to see what is happening in China.”
Company manager Vina Lee explained why the Chinese communist regime might find Shen Yun threatening. “Shen Yun Performing Arts has the mission to revive the culture that has been damaged the last few decades by the Communist Party,” Lee said, referring to the regime in mainland China.
“The Chinese culture is a divine culture,” Lee said, referring to traditional beliefs in Buddhas, Taos, and Gods. “Communism is against all these principles. That’s why the [Chinese] government is scared.”
John Nania also contributed to this report
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