Investigative Report on Participation of Ministry of Culture in Persecuting Falun Gong
Ministry of Culture is subordinate to the State Council. Its responsibilities include formulating guiding policies and regulation for literary and artistic work, as well as supervising the implementation of these policies and regulations, supervising art and culture undertakings, playing a directive function in literary and artistic creation, supporting representative, exemplary, and trial literary works, supervising important and/or national scale cultural activities, supervising cultural market, and guiding the investigation work in cultural market.[1] According to the Organic Law of the State Council of PRC, the Minister of Culture is responsible for the work carried out in the Ministry of Culture. [2]
Issuing Documents, Notices and Formulating Regulations to Direct the Cultural Circles to Persecute Falun Gong on a Nation Wide Scale
Since Jiang Zemin started to persecute Falun Gong on July 20, 1999, the Culture Ministry closely followed Jiang's orders. On July 23, 1999, the Culture Ministry issued a circular, requesting all levels of cultural administrations and video audio products administrations to ban and confiscate Falun Gong publications immediately. [3] In the afternoon of July 28, the first round of nation-wide "Destroying Falun Gong Publications and Related Materials" Campaign was carried out in Cities of Beijing, Tianjin and Provinces such as Jiangsu, Jilin, and Hubei. Over two million Falun Gong publications were confiscated. Large quantities of Falun Gong publications were destroyed in over 12 provinces, cities and autonomous regions.[4] Ever since then, the Culture Ministry, together with seven other ministries including the Department of Propaganda of CCPC, has been organizing national scale so-called "wiping out pornography and striking hard on illegal publication" campaign to confiscate and destroy Falun Gong publications every year.[5]
On September 14, 2001, Culture Ministry, the General Administration of Press and Publication of the PRC, and other six ministries issued the "Notice Regarding Disciplining Publications and Computer Software Market," in which Falun Gong publications were listed as the main target for punishment. [6]
On August 18, 1999, Culture Ministry issued a notice to cultural bureaus in all provinces, autonomous regions and cities under direct jurisdiction of central government, including the Culture and TV Radio Bureau of the construction army group in Xinjiang Autonomous Region. This notice, titled "Notice Regarding Devoting Major Efforts to Carrying out Scientific, Healthy and Civilized Mass Cultural Activities," explicitly stated its role from the very beginning that it was meant to cooperate with the central CCP committee to persecute Falun Gong and to request "all levels of cultural administrations must organize their cadres to learn and grasp the essence of documents from CCPC regarding how to deal with Falun Gong so as to unify our understanding in accordance with the policy formulated by CCPC."[7]
On March 2, 2001, Department of Propaganda of CCPC, State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education, General Political Department, Chinese Association for Science and Technology, General Labor Union, the Communist Youth League Central Committee and the Women's Union issued a circular regarding publicizing and playing the movie "Universe and Man," in which they requested that related departments at all levels should organize people to "expose and denounce Falun Gong" after watching this movie.[8] Guo Chuanjie, the deputy secretary of CCPC of Chinese Academy of Sciences and deputy head of "Leadership Team for Handling Falun Gong Issues," published an article in Guangming Daily, claiming that "advanced culture characterized by the core principle of materialism and dialectics should be promoted in order to eradicate Falun Gong." The Information Center of the Ministry of Culture specifically recommended his article to the general public on its "Information Brief." [9]
Internet Surveillance
Because the suppression of Falun Gong is carried out and sustained entirely based on lies, in order to sustain the persecution, Jiang Zemin naturally resorted to confiscating and destroying Falun Gong publications, blockading free flow of information and internet blockade.
Between November 1999 and June 2000, the Ministry of Culture launched a campaign to investigate and assess Chinese cultural Websites and conducted a thorough investigation of the development status of cultural Websites throughout the nation. Based on the investigation result, the Ministry of Culture proposed a plan for "Civilized Internet Project," which was initiated in Beijing on December 7, 2000. [10]The Ministry of Culture, the Communist Youth League Central Committee, State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the National Federation of Students, the Office for Information Work Leading Group of the State Council, Guangming Daily, the China Telecom, the China Mobile, altogether eight organizations constituted organizational committee of the "Civilized Internet Project." Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng and First Secretary of Communist Youth League Central Committee Zhou Qiang were appointed directors of the organization committee. The former deputy minister of culture Xu Wenbo was appointed deputy director and secretary-general of the organization committee. [11]
The "Civilized Internet Project" was created based on the instruction by Jiang Zemin that on the Internet "we need to attack (the antagonizing force) first, and strengthen our positive Internet propaganda and our clout." One of the main purposes of this project is to blockade the flow of information regarding Falun Gong over the internet. On January 10, 2001, during a "Civilized Internet Symposium" convened by the Office of the Central CCP School and the Civilized Internet project committee, the deputy director and secretary-general of the committee Xu Wenbo mentioned that his committee had detected emails sent by Falun Gong more than once. [12]
Zhang Biyong, director of the Guangming Net, which is a co-sponsor of the "Civilized Internet Project," pointed out in an article that the "Civilized Internet Project" is the successful implementation of "managing the Internet based on emphasis on virtue". The article tried to confirm the importance of the Civilized Internet project by specifically saying "merely between 1998 and the first half of 1999, Falun Gong had more than 1000 Web addresses on the Internet". [13]
During the first half of 2001, a Civilized Internet Green Action project was also launched.[14] This Green Net has the function to "prevent and block Falun Gong information". [15]
Liu Lusha, a senior editor and deputy director of Department of Internet for Guangming Daily, explicitly placed Falun Gong as the target for the "Civilized Internet Project" in one of his articles. [16]
On May 10, 2003, Minister of Culture Sun Jiazheng endorsed the "Interim Provisions on the Administration of Internet Culture," which took effect on July 1, 2003.[17] The 17th stipulation in this regulation is referred to as the Ten Bans for the internet and was originated from the "Guidelines for Internet Administration to Ensure Security" issued by the Ministry of Public Security in 1997; the latter was known as the "Nine Old Bans." In 2000, in order to cooperate with Jiang's order to persecute Falun Gong, "Nine New Bans," which were bans targeting "undermining the state religious policy and promoting evil religion," were added to internet administration regulations. In the 17th stipulation of "Interim Provisions on the Administration of Internet Culture" issued by Ministry of Culture, the fifth item specifically targeted Falun Gong.[18]
Organize Anti-Falun Gong Cultural Events and Comic Strip Competition
Examples of Anti-Falun Gong cultural performances directly sponsored either by the Ministry of Culture, or its subordinate cultural departments and bureaus were[19]: "Escape From Hell - Portent of a Cult" a large scale stage performance at the Huanghuagang Theater with the inaugural show on May 24 2001, produced jointly by the Guangdong Provincial Cultural and Art Research Institute (a subordinate of the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Culture) and the Guangdong Modern Drama Theater; "The Plunder of the Swan", a melodrama, which was first performed in April 2001 by the Zhejiang Provincial Comical Troupe, a subsidiary of the Zhejiang Provincial Folk Art and Acrobatics Head Company, that received wide acclaims from the National Family Planning Commission, Ministry of Culture, State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the Women's Federation, Chinese Federation of Literature, Art and Culture, as well as the Chinese Writers Association. Later the Ministry of Culture invited the troupe to perform at the prestigious National Culture Palace Performing Center; The stage play "Heavy Crime amid the Chaotic Drafting", conceived and rehearsed by the Chaoyang City Modern Drama Troupe, planned and organized by the (Chaoyang City) Bureau of Culture; "Awakening", a four parts show organized and produced by the Yaonan City Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department, Political and Judicial Department and Bureau of Recreation and Sports; "Wicked Nightmare", a modern drama produced by the Anshan City Qianshan District Cultural Center and the Hope Theatrical Company, with inaugural performance on March 27 2001; "The Sham God Advises His Wife", a drama produced, sponsored by the Liaoning Bureau of Culture and the Liaoning Provincial Federation of Literature, Art and Culture, supervised and performed by the Changchun City Peace Folk Duet Company; "The Birthday", a modern drama first performed on November 16 2003, was jointly produced by the Henan Provincial 610 Office (a Gestapo like communist party office established specifically to carry out the persecution of Falun Gong), the Henan Provincial Anti-Cult Society, the Luohe City 610 Office, and the Luohe City Bureau of Culture. The show was jointly organized by the Henan Provincial Civilization and Culture Office and the Henan Provincial Bureau of Culture; "The Death of a Soul", which was a Beijing Opera based on the story of battling against Falun Gong, was converted into a modern drama by the Yingkou City Youth Beijing Opera Company, one of the 10 youth Beijing Opera Companies in China singled out and commended by the Ministry of Culture. More than 200 performances were shown and it was recommended as part of the demonstration performance on the National Falun Gong Transformation Symposium.[20]
In May 2001, a National Comic Strip Competition in concert with the persecution of Falun Gong was authorized by the Ministry of Culture; the competition was jointly sponsored by the Chinese People's Culture Institute, China Culture Daily (a Ministry of Culture paper), China's Artist Association Comic and Cartoon Committee, New Cultural Daily Publisher and the Chaoyang District Cultural Center.[21]
Encouraging Upfront Persecution Personnel by way of Salutation and Greeting Visits
Outstanding model personnel Meng Yu and the Veteran Cadre Choir of the Ministry of Culture visited and performed at various labor camps, transformation classes. They also participated in the brainwashing of Falun Gong practitioners.[22] On the morning of the Lantern Festival, February 23, 2005, the 3rd Beijing Opera Company of the Ministry of Culture visited the Shijiazhuang City Forced Labor Education Administration Center and the Hebei Provincial Judicial Education and Training Center, both were notorious for the atrocity against Falun Gong practitioners. They greeted and extended well wishes to the deputies and police who were directly responsible for carrying out the persecutions against Falun Gong practitioners.[23]
Internal Persecutions within the Ministry of Culture
In the year 2000, Ministry of Culture forcibly sent Falun Gong practitioners working at the Ministry to the Beijing City Tuanhe Labor Camp for brainwashing and transformation.[24] Tang Yuan, a Professor at the College of Administration under the Ministry of Culture was sent several times to the labor camp for brainwashing.[25] Zhang Dahua, a Falun Gong practitioner working at the Beijing Library (under the Ministry of Culture) was persecuted to near death by the Ministry of Culture brainwashing class at the Tuanhe Labor Camp.[26] Wang Ji, who was the Vice Party Secretary of the Direct affiliate office of the Ministry of Culture, was the chief administrator of the National Central Office In-Depth Education and Study Class (a brainwashing class in disguise).[27, 28]
References
[1] Culture Ministry Website- introduction to culture ministry (Back)
[2] The rules of organization for State Council of PRC, 9th rule: Each ministry should have one minister, two to four deputy ministers. Each committee should have one director, two to four deputy directors and five to ten committee members. Ministers and directors are responsible for the operation of their respective ministries and committees. Ministers and directors play a directive role in their respective departments; they are responsible for convening conferences, endorsing important reports, appeals addressed to the state council and instructions issued from the state council. Deputy minister should assist the work of minister and deputy director should assist the work of director. (Back)
[3] "Notice regarding the ban on Falun Gong video audio materials from Ministry of Culture" (Dispatch from Ministry of Culture on July 23, 1999) (Back)
[4] Report from People's Daily, Page 4, July 30, 1999. (Dispatch from Beijing, Xinhua News Agency, July 29, 1999) (Back)
[5] Report from Xinhua News Agency, Beijing on January 29, 2000, by Lu Xinning, journalist for People's Daily and Yin Hongzhu, journalist for Xinhua News Agency. (Back)
[6] China Education and Research Network, September 14, 200. (Back)
[7] "Notice Regarding Devoting Major Efforts to Carrying out Scientific, Healthy and Civilized Mass Cultural Activities," Ministry of Culture, August 18, 1999 (Back)
[8] Website of Ministry of Education (Back)
[9] Information Brief from the Information Center of the Ministry of Culture, 8th issue, 2003 (Back)
[10] Civilized Internet Project: Introduction of the Civilized Internet Project. (Back)
[11] Civilized Internet Project: Board members of the Civilized Internet Project Organizing Committee, Directors: Sun Jiazheng (Minister of Culture), Zhou Qiang, (the first secretary of the Chinese Communist Youth League Central Committee); Deputy Directors: Zhao Weisui (vice Minister of Culture), Xu Wenbo (former vice Minister of Culture). (Back)
[12] Zhongshan Education & Information Net, article by Xu Wenbo, June 19, 2002 (Back)
[13] Guangming Net, May 23, 2001, article by Zhang Biyong, the director of Guangming Net. (Back)
[14] Guangming Net, May 23, 2001, article by Zhang Biyong, the director of Guangming Net. (Back)
[15] Xinhua Net, January 17(2003), from Ha'erbin, by journalist Liang Dong (Back)
[16] Civilized Internet Project, article by Liu Lusha (Back)
[17] Civilized Internet Project. "Interim Provisions on the Administration of Internet Culture" (Back)
[18] Broken Mind—Yue Lu Salon of Law. Battles on the Internet— On the Rules of Law for Crimes using Computers and Network, by Li Xing'an. (Back)
[19] WOIPFG report. Public Announcement to Investigate the Responsible Persons and Organs Involved in Production of movies, TV Programs and Dramas to Defame Falun Gong. (Back)
20 Yingkou Culture and Information Net. Yingkou city youth Beijing Opera Toupe. (Back)
[21] Minghui Net, May 1, 2001. (Back)
[22] CCP Construction On Line, Ministry of Culture (Back)
[23] CCP Construction On Line, Ministry of Culture (Back)
[24] Minghui Net, November 17, 2000 (Back)
[25] Minghui Net, June 15, 2001 (Back)
[26] Minghui Net, April 27, 2002 (Back)
[27] Xinhua Net, April 25, 2001 (Back)
[28] Minghui Net, December 17, 2003 (Back)
World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
Tel：1-347-448-5790；Fax：1-347-402-1444；
Mail Address：P.O. Box 84， New york, NY 10116
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