TAIPEI—China’s Religious Affairs chief pushed the microphone away and refused to speak when asked by reporters about the spiritual practice of Falun Gong in China last week. Ye Xiaowen, China’s Chief of State Administration for Religious Affairs, was in Taiwan attending a farewell dinner following the World Buddhist Forum when confronted with the questions. Falun Gong, a spiritual cultivation practice of the Buddha School, has been persecuted by the Chinese regime since 1999.
He was asked by reporters, “Taiwan is a country with religious freedom. Please tell us what you think of Falun Gong?” Ye remained silent. When asked whether Ye knew he had been sued in the United States, Ye pushed reporters’ microphones away.
Ye and another official of the Religious Affairs Administration were sued on June 5, 2006, in the U.S. Federal Court in New York for using religious activities to slander Falun Gong and its founder. Their words have allegedly misled the media and played a role in the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China, contributing to hatred, violence, and genocide against Falun Gong.
Ye has been the chief of Religious Affairs for 13 years, and is believed to be one of the main culprits in the persecution of Falun Gong, which began in 1999. Through the education system and the media, Ye is believed to have spread lies against Falun Gong and incited people’s hatred against the practice.
Dawa Tsering, a spokesperson of the Tibetan Government in Exile, said that Ye has also been critical in restricting religious freedom in Tibet. He said, “[Ye’s] so-called patriotic education in Tibet actually forces Tibetans to betray their own faith and attack their religious leader. Tibetan monks are forced to make political statements [against their religion].”
The chairman of Taiwan’s ruling party Kuomintang, Wu Poh-hsiung hosted the dinner in Taiwan. When asked for his view on the persecution of Falun Gong, Wu said, “Taiwan is a country with religious freedom.”
Ye left Taiwan on April 2.
