Council members of New Zealand’s largest city received a surprise in the mail in early January. It was a letter from Liao Juhua, the Chinese Consul General in Auckland. The letter told them not to attend the Chinese cultural performance Shen Yun Performing Arts. Many found the instruction strange, and to some, it seemed outrageous.
The curtly worded letter stated that, between Feb. 3 and Feb. 5, the “‘Falun Gong organization’ is going to stage the so-called ‘Shen Yun’… in Auckland.’” The letter then slandered Falun Gong, always referred to in scare quotes, before saying: “You are kindly requested to stay away from this event and thank you for reading this letter.”
Recipients did not return the gratitude.
“I was quite outraged by it,” said Dr. Cathy Casey, an Auckland City Council member who returned from a vacation several days ago to find the note waiting for her. “I’m really upset that the consulate should think it can influence elected members in a host country, where they’re our guest,” she said in a phone interview with The Epoch Times. She had seen Shen Yun Performing Arts several times in the past.
Shen Yun is a classical Chinese dance and music company that tours globally. According to its website, “Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture.” One of the presenters of the show in Auckland is the Falun Dafa Association of New Zealand.
The curtly worded letter stated that, between Feb. 3 and Feb. 5, the “‘Falun Gong organization’ is going to stage the so-called ‘Shen Yun’… in Auckland.’” The letter then slandered Falun Gong, always referred to in scare quotes, before saying: “You are kindly requested to stay away from this event and thank you for reading this letter.”
Recipients did not return the gratitude.
“I was quite outraged by it,” said Dr. Cathy Casey, an Auckland City Council member who returned from a vacation several days ago to find the note waiting for her. “I’m really upset that the consulate should think it can influence elected members in a host country, where they’re our guest,” she said in a phone interview with The Epoch Times. She had seen Shen Yun Performing Arts several times in the past.
Shen Yun is a classical Chinese dance and music company that tours globally. According to its website, “Shen Yun’s mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture.” One of the presenters of the show in Auckland is the Falun Dafa Association of New Zealand.
