On November 8, 2007, the Chinese Beijing 2008 Committee announced that it welcomes athletes from overseas bringing Bibles or other personal religious objects to China. However, this rule was said explicitly not to apply to the meditation practice Falun Gong.
Erping Zhang, spokesperson for Falun Gong, said on November 9 that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has the facts wrong about Falun Gong and has violated the spirit of the Olympic Games, and international and Chinese laws. Zhang calls on the international community and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to condemn and stop the CCP from openly violating human rights.
Beijing Denies Banning Religious Objects
European media and the Religion News Service recently reported the Beijing 2008 Games will ban athletes from bringing Bibles to China. A U.S. senator asked the Chinese ambassador in the United States to explain the ban. Some Christian groups protested the ban as well.
Liu Jianchao, spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denied the above information at a press conference on Thursday, but on the same day, director of the Beijing Olympic Media Center Li Zhanjun said, "We don't acknowledge Falun Gong as a religion because it's an evil cult. Hence, any document or activity that involves Falun Gong is banned in China."
Beijing Breaches the Olympic Spirit
Falun Gong spokes person Zhang Erping said, "The Olympic Games symbolizes humanity and is against discrimination of any individual. The Olympics demands fair and just treatment of any society member and anyone has the right to participate in the Olympics. Beijing excludes Falun Gong and banned everything related to Falun Gong; this is against the Olympic spirit and rules."
According to Zhang, China's Constitution specifies citizens have the right to religious freedom. Beijing's suppression and persecution against Falun Gong not only violates international laws and humanity's principles, but also violates China's laws."
Zhang said that the CCP has utilized every possible means to persecute Falun Gong. In March 2006 The Epoch Times reported that the CCP harvests organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for profit.
Falun Gong—CCP's Greatest Fear
Ma Xiaoming, former Shanxi TV reporter, said the stand of Beijing 2008 means that after the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party, the CCP has not changed its hostile attitude towards Falun Gong. "Beijing's officially treating Falun Gong differently from other religions means the CCP hates and fears Falun Gong the most," said Ma.
Ma continued, "The CCP's suppression of Falun Gong is based on lies. Once the people understand the truth of the persecution, it will end.
"During the Olympic Games, tens of thousands of athletes, reporters, officials, and tourists will come from overseas and so will the truth. Hence the CCP does everything it can to stop it from happening."
Wu Fan, political commentator, thinks the CCP once more shows no remorse on this issue. Wu said that the CCP first tested the international community's reaction by saying "Bibles and other religious objects will not be allowed in China." Now the international community protested and the CCP had to "explain the misunderstanding."
Hu Jia, a human rights activist, said that Beijing's statements of "protecting religious freedom" and "excluding Falun Gong" contradict each other. According to Hu, there are Falun Gong practitioners all over the world and everyone says Falun Gong is a righteous belief. In Hu's opinion, the ban says something is wrong with China when it is the only country that suppresses Falun Gong.
As for Beijing's statement saying it will allow objects from other religions and will provide religious services in the Olympic Village, Hu Jia, being a Buddhist, said, "This is another lie. We all know Beijing not only suppresses Falun Gong but also other religions. The rules don't apply to foreigners as strictly as to Chinese people. The Ministry of Public Security gave a secret order not to let 43 kinds of people enter the Olympic arena. Until this day, Beijing still denies having such an order against various groups of the public."
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