Former Official of China’s Gestapo-Like Religious Persecution Agency Lived in Vancouver at Time of Death

Falun Gong adherents attend a candlelight vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate in Toronto on July 15, 2021, marking 22 years since the launch of the persecution by the Chinese communist regime. Evan Ning/The Epoch Times

A former official of China’s notorious “610 Office,” known for its fierce persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, was residing in Vancouver at the time of his death, according to an official obituary.

Zhang Guoqiang, originally from Zhejiang Province, had served in various Chinese military and government roles, including as the director of the provincial 610 Office, according to the obituary published on local online news outlet Zhejiang Daily. He died at the age of 70 in Vancouver on Nov. 15, 2021, reportedly succumbing to an illness after unsuccessful medical treatments.

The details of Mr. Zhang’s entry into Canada and his immigration status remain unclear.

610 Office

The 610 Office has been a key part of the persecution campaign against Falun Gong practitioners in China. It was founded on June 10, 1999, following the launch of the persecution against Falun Gong the previous month, with the explicit mandate to coordinate and execute the campaign, as directed by former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin. Functioning as an extralegal security and surveillance entity, the agency has been likened to a Gestapo within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Human rights organizations have long raised concerns about the 610 Office’s human rights abuses, including the arbitrary detention, torture, sexual abuse, and forced labour of Falun Gong adherents.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice rooted in Buddhist traditions that involves meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the principles of “truthfulness, compassion, forbearance.”

Following its introduction in China in the early 1990s, the practice quickly gained widespread popularity due to its perceived health benefits. Official estimates indicated a practitioner count of 70 million to 100 million in China by 1999.

However, the CCP leader perceived the popularity and the significant number of Falun Gong adherents as a threat to the authoritarian rule of the CCP. Subsequently, on July 20, 1999, he ordered a far-reaching, nationwide persecution with the aim of eradicating the practice. The campaign has continued to this day.

The 610 Office was thrown into the spotlight after the death of its founder, Jiang Zemin, who passed away at the age of 96 on Nov. 30, 2022, succumbing to leukemia and multiple organ failure.

Investigation

The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), an international organization dedicated to examining the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong, includes Zhang Guoqiang in its database of individuals involved in human rights violations. Mr. Zhang’s name and position at the Zhejiang provincial 610 Office are consistent with the information provided in his official obituary.

In September 2003 and January 2004, WOIPFG submitted to the RCMP a list of 45 individuals involved in the persecution of Falun Gong adherents. The submission included evidence of their crimes, with Jiang Zemin among those named on the list, the organization said on its website.

WOIPFG noted that the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong is part of Canada’s “Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Program,” which prevents offering a safe haven to individuals suspected of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide. The program involves collaboration among four partners: RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and the Department of Justice.

When contacted by The Epoch Times about Mr. Zhang’s status in Canada, the CBSA said it “does not provide comment or details on specific individual cases” as “immigration information is considered private and protected” by Canada’s Privacy Act.

“What I can tell you is that, all persons seeking entry to Canada must present to the CBSA and demonstrate they meet the requirements to enter. All travellers may be subject to a more in-depth exam,” a spokesperson said in an email.

Frank Fang contributed to this report.