NEW YORK—A festive parade was held in Manhattan’s Chinatown on Sunday to celebrate the Chinese New Year, but the celebration was not all-inclusive. Falun Dafa practitioners from all boroughs of the city, New Jersey, and from as far away as Boston were denied the ability to participate by the organizer, the Better Chinatown Society.
A small group of the Falun Dafa practitioners met with the New York Police Department early Sunday, before the parade, but were still unable to join the event.
Some of those who were denied participation made the point that they are American citizens of various races who practice truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance—the main principles of Falun Dafa. Yet they are barred from an event in their own backyard.
Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a peaceful spiritual practice that has been persecuted in China by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 1999.
There have been numerous documented cases over the years of CCP officials pressuring local government officials and Chinese community groups to essentially extend the persecution of Falun Dafa outside of China. CCP officials wield threats or inducements to attempt to cancel public activities related to Falun Dafa, or exclude Falun Dafa practitioners from activities organized by others—such as Chinese New Year parades in San Francisco, New York, and elsewhere.
The Better Chinatown Society organized the parade this year, and Steven Tin, president of the organization, refused to let Falun Dafa participate because he deemed the group “religiously controversial.”
Dr. Wenyi Wang said she applied for a parade permit for Falun Dafa practitioners last February, before the Better Chinatown Society, and the application was denied early this month. Dr. Wang said she was told the application was denied because they had applied for the same day as another group.
According to the police officers on security for the parade, parade permits were “pretty much guaranteed” on a first-come first-served basis.
The NYPD could not confirm the Better Chinatown Society’s application date by press deadline.
Participation OK Until 2008
Falun Dafa has been excluded from the Chinatown parade since 2008, and Dr. Wang said she has been in talks with the NYPD for three years regarding the exclusion. She has reached out to the Better Chinatown Society over the years as well. Wang said that they did not want to sit down and discuss the matter this year.
“We’ve been talking to the organizers every year, but I think [the parade organizer] is pressured by the Chinese Communist Party. He basically used different excuses every year; last year the security excuse, this year he published in a Chinese newspaper [that they] accept every group except those politically or religiously controversial—those are standards of the Chinese Communist Party,” Wang said. “We’re being persecuted, and that’s controversial? That’s discrimination.”
Wang said Falun Dafa participates in an average of 12 parades annually in different areas of New York City, including the Chinatown in Flushing, Queens, and there has never been a problem.
“I understand exactly what you’re talking about, but it’s something I cannot do for you,” Lt. Christopher Stissi said to the Falun Dafa practitioners before the parade started setting up. Lt. Stissi added that whether a group would be allowed to join the parade or not would be up to the organizer, Steven Tin.
Tin declined to comment on any subject or talk to the Falun Dafa practitioners.
Many of the parade participants were unaware that Falun Dafa had been denied entry in the parade, or of any security issues they might bring.
Jian Le Xie, who was participating in a lion and dragon dance team, said he was with a martial arts school from Flushing.
“We’re celebrating, obviously, Chinese New Year,” Xie said. “We want to bring good fortune and good luck to the New York tri-state area. We'll just be going down [Mott Street], entertain the crowd, and have fun.”
“I have seen them [Falun Dafa] maybe a couple years back, they have been here before, but not recently,” Xie said, adding that there wasn’t ever any violence.
Lt. Stissi said that next week he would be meeting with Dr. Wang to discuss the parade issues and permits for next year’s parade.
