March 16, 2004

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Summary

It is confirmed that since the former president of China Jiang Zemin issued the order to persecute Falun Gong in July 1999, Chen Zhili, Minister of Education from 1998 to 2003, has been treading on Jiang’s heels and became an active advocator and a willing participant in Jiang’s genocide policy against Falun Gong in China’s educational system. The persecution of Falun Gong has penetrated into all venues of education, including graduate schools, colleges, middle schools, primary schools, and even kindergartens, and is unprecedented in the education history of the world in terms of the ranges it has reached, the vast number of people it has victimized and the depth to which these people have been persecuted, and the vicious approaches it has adopted.

Chen took advantage of her special relationship with Jiang Zemin and the privileges she thus received to forcibly carry out Jiang’s genocide policy within China’s educational system. She held numerous meetings to personally deploy Jiang’s order; she issued documents in the name of the Ministry of Education and carried out a Cultural-Revolution-like pledge in all levels of schools in China, demanding everyone, ranging from faculty members, staffs, to students to speak out against Falun Gong; she forced these people to watch slanderous propaganda movies; she launched the “Million Signature” campaign to force students to sign a petition against Falun Gong; she directed the Ministry to compile teaching materials and exam papers, including college and graduate school entrance exams, with anti-Falun Gong materials. She went so far as to use the anti-Falun Gong programs produced by the Chinese Central TV Station (“CCTV”) as study material in normal schools to infuse animosity into the minds of future teachers in an effort to accomplish long-term mind control.

Physical and Mental Torture of Teachers and Students Who Practiced Falun Gong

The most typical case is of Wei Xingyan, a 28-year-old graduate student at the Chongqing University. Because she was suspected to have set out balloons and hang up banners telling the truth about Falun Gong on campus during the “World Falun Dafa Day,” she was abducted in school on May 11, 2003. On the evening of May 13, Xingyan was raped in front of others by a policeman in a room at the Baiheling Detention Center in Shapingba District. She responded with a hunger-strike. Force-feeding administered by the police at the detention center led to severe damage of her trachea and esophagus, loss of ability to talk, and critical illness. Currently, her whereabouts are still unknown. The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (“WOIPFG”) has opened an investigation on Wei’s case.

After the incident, the university and the city authorities did not investigate the crime. Instead, they illegally sentenced 5 Falun Gong practitioners who exposed the crime to the international community up to 14 years in prison.

Many students who continue to follow their beliefs are denied of entrance to schools. Students with doctor’s and master’s degrees, experts and scholars who have made contributions to the country are illegally detained, tortured, even killed at the forced labor camps.

Chen’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has directly violated the articles of the People’s Republic of China’s Education Law, which states that the “citizens shall enjoy equal opportunity of education, regardless of their ethnic, race, gender, occupation, property, or religious belief.”

Inciting Hatred and Using Youths to Start Mass Anti-Falun Gong Movement

Chen used the national educational resources to infuse hundreds of millions of youth with lies and hate propaganda, inciting the students who did not know the truth to take part in the anti-Falun Gong mass movement in an effort to eradicate the practice. For example, after the staged “self immolation” on Tiananmen Square, on February 1, 2001, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Education headed by Chen and the Communist Youth League Central Committee (“CYLCC”) jointly sent out a notification, requiring the Education Department committee in each province, autonomous region and municipality, the Communist Youth League committee, and colleges and universities directly under the Ministry of Education to carry out anti-Falun Gong activities in a broad scope. Soon afterwards, a large-scale nationwide student movement started.

According to China’s own official report, on February 6, 2001, under the direct orders from Wang Maolin, director of the central “610” office, Zhou Qiang, first secretary of the CYLCC, and Zhao Yong, secretary of the CYLCC, 8 million youngsters from nearly 1,000 communities in about 100 cities nationwide attended anti-Falun Gong activities. Within one day, over 500 thousand posters were posted, 10 million copies of propaganda material were distributed, and 200 public gatherings were held. In February 2001, events to attack Falun Gong were held in more than 1,500 youth communities in 100 cities around the country. Led by young students who didn’t know the truth yet but were used and coerced by others, over 12 million residents in the communities signed pledges to “not to believe, not to spread but resist” Falun Gong. Thus, by using the young people, a so-called anti-Falun Gong movement was forced onto the society.

Utilizing the National Resources Designated for Educational Development to Repress, Slander Falun Gong

Since 1999, Chen has drawn upon a great amount of the national resources and misappropriated funds for educational development purpose to spread lies, block information about the truth of Falun Gong, and persecute Falun Gong practitioners. For example, Chen requested the colleges and universities to enhance the research and development in internet control technology and focus on developing new software and hardware for internet blockade, so as to provide technical support for blocking access to online Falun Gong related information. Various kinds of anti-Falun Gong seminars, photo exhibits, art performances, and club activities were held on and off campus. Anti-Falun Gong publications were distributed to the society.

Furthermore, Chen turned the academic society into a battle field to persecute Falun Gong. She instructed colleges and universities to “fully take advantage of the highly concentrated population of intellectuals, complete range of disciplines, and rich resources in theory and science research to play a distinctive role in the thorough exposing and criticizing of Falun Gong, promoting Marxist materialism and atheism, and popularising science and literacy.” She coerced intellectuals in colleges and universities to abandon their academic ethics and provide theoretical and ideological basis for persecuting citizens’ freedom of belief for political needs.

Exporting the Persecution to the International Community

Because of the illegality of the persecution and the resistance from the international community, the persecution of Falun Gong in the educational system headed by Chen went gradually from open to concealed, and was gradually exported to overseas through diplomatic channels in the name of culture and education exchange. On July 3 and 4, 2002, Chen attended and gave a speech at the National Educational Foreign Affairs Conference organized and hosted by the Ministry of Education, revealing the fact that the education department in the embassies and consulates abroad had done a lot of work in attacking Falun Gong. Following Jiang Zemin and Chen Zhili’s instructions, the Chinese embassies and consulates abroad carried out the persecution in the overseas Chinese communities on a broad scale.

Under the name of “culture and education exchange and observation,” Chen went abroad and gave out huge amount of aid gratis in order to spread the persecution of Falun Gong overseas. To accomplish this goal, Chen squandered China’s educational fund and national resources abroad while tens of millions of children had lost their education opportunities due to the poverty in China.

This report consists two parts. The first part focuses on the facts how Chen Zhili carried out the persecution in the education system. The second part details the persecution cases of practitioners in the education system (including students and teachers in colleges, middle schools and elementary schools as well as students studying abroad).

Since the scope and the depth of the persecution are far beyond one’s imagination, there are still a large amount of cases yet to be further investigated. We sincerely welcome all information to help us compile a more comprehensive report and, ultimately, stop the persecution of Falun Gong.

(Note: References can be found in the main body of the report)

Part 1: Facts of the Chinese Officials Led by Chen Zhili Persecuting Falun Gong in the Education System

Chen Zhili, promoted to be the Minister of Education by Jiang in 1998

Since the former president of China Jiang Zemin issued the order to persecute Falun Gong in July 1999, Chen Zhili, Minister of Education from 1998 to 2003, has been treading on Jiang’s heels and became an active advocator and a willing participant in Jiang’s genocide policy against Falun Gong in China’s educational system. The persecution of Falun Gong has penetrated into all venues of education, including graduate schools, colleges, middle schools, primary schools, and even kindergartens. Teachers and students alike have all suffered the brutality.

Chen deployed anti Falun Gong moves at various meetings she hosted to forcibly carry out Jiang’s genocide policy within China’s educational system. Through the Ministry of Education, she issued instructions to the education committee (department) at each provincial, municipal and district level and requested that everyone, ranging from faculty members, staffs, to students to speak out against Falun Gong. She forced teachers and students to watch slanderous propaganda movies and organized the “Million Signature” campaign in universities, middle schools and elementary schools. She went so far as to instruct the Ministry to compile anti Falun Gong materials into the teaching materials and exam papers, including college and graduate school entrance exams.

Teachers who refuse to participate in the anti-Falun Gong activities and refuse to give up their Falun Gong practice are dismissed and illegally detained. Students are expelled from school, denied of entering a higher grade or graduation. In worse cases, they are sent by force to “transformation classes” – quasi concentration camps established by Jiang Zemin’s regime where Falun Gong practitioners are forcibly brainwashed without any due processes, labors camps and mental hospitals. According to incomplete statistics, between July 1999 and December 2003, at least 37 active or retired teachers and 3 university students have been verified as being tortured and persecuted to death.[1] At least 435 practitioners from 210 colleges and universities were forced into various “transformation classes,” labor camps, and mental hospitals in 2003. Since 1999, in Qinghua University alone, more than 300 faculty members, doctorate and master’s degree students, and undergraduates were illegally detained, dismissed, and sent to forced labor camps.[2] Many more students and teachers who refused to renounce Falun Gong or participate in the persecution of Falun Gong were deprived of their rights to teaching and studying.

These actions directly violated the following articles of the People’s Republic of China’s Education Law [3]:

Article 9: Citizens of the People’s Republic of China have the right and duty to receive education. Citizens shall enjoy equal opportunity of education, regardless of their ethnic, race, gender, occupation, property and religious belief.

Article 36: The education recipients shall enjoy equal rights to admission, entering higher grades and employment.

I. Using documents and speeches to attack Falun Gong and deploying and carrying out the persecution

Over the years, Chen directly promoted Jiang Zemin’s persecution policy by means of issues documents and giving speeches at various meetings. She deliberately attacked Falun Gong on many occasions.

1. Directly implementing Jiang Zemin's policy of genocide

Based on Chen’s special personal relationship with Jiang and her speeches at various occasions, it is clear that since the outset of the persecution of Falun Gong, Chen has been actively and directly implementing and promoting Jiang’s policy of genocide against Falun Gong in China’s education system. One example was her initiating the anti-Falun Gong “Million Signature” campaign in the education system.

1.1 Chen's special personal relationship with Jiang

Jiang has been playing a vital role in Chen’s political career. When she was the deputy director of the Shanghai Silicate Research Institute in the 1980’s, Jiang’s elder son Jiang Mianheng worked in the same place. She was later promoted to be a member of the standing committee of Shanghai’s Communist Party Committee and Minister of Propaganda (Shanghai) in 1988 after Jiang Zemin became the secretary of Shanghai Municipal Communist Party Committee (“SMCPC”). In April 1989, Chen stood firmly by Jiang and worked with Zeng Qinghong to handle the “Shanghai Economics Guidance Newspaper” incident. [4] This had resulted in her promotion to become the deputy secretary of SMCPC and concurrently Minister of Propaganda (Shanghai). In August 1997, Jiang Zemin took quite some effort to transfer her to Beijing to take the position as the deputy director and Party secretary of the State Education Committee.

On March 18, 1998, Chen, who had never worked in the education system, was promoted to be the Minister of Education. She received the lowest votes among all the ministers. It was reported by Hong Kong’s Zhengmin magazine that during a conference for college and university presidents held by the State Council, presidents from well-known universities directly under the Ministry of Education, such as the Qinghua University, Beijing University, Zhejiang University and Fudan University, co-signed a letter to request the removal and replacement of Chen. In March 2002, during the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, representatives of the Congress and members of the Consultative Conference from 22 provinces, autonomous districts and municipalities impeached both the Ministry of Education and its Minister, Chen. In the March 2003 issue of Kaifang magazine, it was revealed that on March 7 and 8, Party committees of 32 delegations to the People’s Congress discussed the name list provided by the Politburo of the next leadership of the State Council, and 27 delegations expressed strong objection of Chen. The majority opinions opposed Chen being a State Councillor. Nearly 40 colleges and universities were against the proposal. However, in March 2003, this Minister of Education, who was slated to be removed, was promoted against all odds to be the State Councillor in charge of education, thanks to her treading Jiang’s heels in the persecution of Falun Gong and other political manoeuvres. [5]

The photo from the Xinhua Net [6] gives a glimpse of the special relationship between Chen and Jiang. On November 4, 2003, Jiang (in the middle of the front row) met with the representatives of the 15th National Military Schools and Colleges Conference in Beijing. He was accompanied by Chen (second from the right in the front row and the only one in plain clothes) who had no business with the military.

On 11/4/03, Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the Military Commission of the Central Committee, met with the representatives of the 15th National Military Schools and Colleges Conference in Beijing

1. Chen’s speeches revealing the fact that the persecution was ordered by Jiang

Jiang’s name and his “three representatives” were frequently mentioned in many of Chen’s anti Falun Gong speeches. These speeches also revealed that there was no legal ground for the persecution except for Jiang’s speeches and the so-called “the essence of the notification from the Central Committee.” For example:

In the few days following July 24, 2000, the Party committee of the Ministry of Education called for a series of meetings to study and relay Jiang’s speeches and the “Notification” from the Central Committee. At those meetings, Chen required that all Party members and cadres within the Ministry as well as the education field shall “have a deep ideological and organizational understanding of Falun Gong…unify our thoughts and actions with the essence of Secretary Jiang’s important speeches and the notification from the Central Committee.” [7]

On August 23, 1999, the Ministry of Education sent out a notice to all colleges and universities (Party committee of the Ministry of Education [1999] No. 24) (8], stating that “Party committees at all colleges and universities shall incorporate the study and education of the ‘three emphasises’ with the handling of Falun Gong issues.” In 2001, at the working conference of all colleges and universities directly under the Minister of Education presided by Chen, Li Lanqing, Director of the central “610” Office gave a speech. (9] While attacking Falun Gong, Li emphasized to promote the reform and development of colleges and universities in the new century under the guidance of Jiang’s “three representatives.”

On January 31, 2001, the Ministry of Education held a forum attended by Party cadres in Beijing. In his speech on behalf of the Party committee of the Ministry, Zhang Tianbao, member of the Party committee of the Ministry and secretary of the Party committee of the departments directly under the Ministry, raised three requirements to these departments in exposing and criticizing Falun Gong: 1) Reach a clear ideological understanding of the issue. Each Party committee was required to organize all Party members, cadres and staff, especially leaders at each administrative level to carefully study and have a deep understanding of Jiang’s series of important instruction on dealing with the Falun Gong issues and the policies set forth by the Central Committee. Unify thoughts with the essence of the Central Committee. Truly recognize the seriousness of the Falun Gong issue from the perspective of its impact to the solidifying of the Party’s ruling position and the socialism system as well as its impact to the national security, so as to build up the initiation and consciousness to fulfil the task. 2) Define roles and responsibilities. Implement the accountability of the head of each function and department directly under the Ministry. 3) All measures must be in place. Each work unit shall fully mobilize the mass and firmly resist all Falun Gong activities. Keep a “good eye on the door and the people,” [10] a saying originally from Jiang in his instruction to officials at the Politburo, the secretariat, and the Cental Military Committee on June 3, 1999. [11]

2. Chen’s speeches clearly stating the depth, the scope, and the long-term nature of the perrsecution

Chen’s speeches revealed the nature of the persecution, which is a political and ideological persecution. Chen elevated the so-called “struggle” to a political height and attempted to forcibly eradicate Falun Gong in the education system. In many of her speeches, Chen revealed the depth, the scope, the long-lasting nature and the cruelty of the persecution. On February 1, 2001, the Ministry of Education held a forum in Beijing to mark the 1st anniversary of the publication of Jiang Zemin’s “Speech on the Issue of Education.” [12] Chen stated at the forum that “the national education field shall continue to implement the spirit of Jiang’s Speech…actively hold activities and resolutely carry out fights against Falun Gong.” She also pointed out that “our fight against Falun Gong is an important political battle, and we shall fully realize the long-term nature, the intensity and complexity of this political battle…” She instructed all schools to fully carry out fights against Falun Gong after the winter break. [13]

2.1 Criminizing Falun Gong on the basis of ideology and belief to carry out political persecution

Chen followed Jiang’s logic in the education system and escalated the difference in ideology and belief to the level of conflict of the enemy. She also forcibly promoted hate propaganda and mind manipulation in the education field and, at the same time, deprived practitioners’ right to belief by using Jiang’s policy of genocide. For example, in August 1999, Chen sent out a notice through the Party committee of the Ministry to all colleges and universities, asking them to “study and master the basic principals and concepts of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, draw an even clearer distinction between materialism and idealism, atheism and faith, and science and superstition.”

On August 12, 1999, some officials from the Ministry of Education and a group of colleges and university from the Beijing and Tianjin area, and officials from the departments in the Minsitry of Education held a forum on how to continue to fight Falun Gong in the eductaion field. Chen attended the forum and made a speech, claiming that the battle against Falun Gong had a bearing on the “fundamental belief of communist party members, fundamental ideology basis for the unification of the people, and the future of the Party and the nation.” [14]

In a notice issued by the Ministry of Education on April 28, 2000 [15], it was clearly required to conduct education on Marxism materialism, atheism and scientific knowledge, thoughts and spirit through various means among Party members, cadres, students, faculties and staffs, further repress Falun Gong in the ideological field and force teachers and students to give up Falun Gong practice.

The difference in ideology mentioned here has in fact become the ideological and theoretical basis for persecuting Falun Gong in the education system as well as in the whole country later on.

On August 12, 1999, at a forum organized and held in Beijing to further expose and attack Falun Gong in the education system, Chen said: “We must elevate our understanding of the battle against Falun Gong from the level of political emphasise.” [14]

2.2 The breadth of the persecution

In many of her speeches, Chen instructed to carry out the persecution in all types of schools at all levels. [12] While slandering Falun Gong and deploying the persecution, Chen asked millions of administrative staff members and leaders and teachers in middle and elementary schools to study Jiang’s “Speech” and unify the guiding ideology for teaching with the essence of the “Speech.” [12]

2.3 The long-term characteristics of the persecution and its impact on the future of China

Chen pointed out the long-term nature of the persecution in many of her speeches. The following examples offer ample evidence:

On December 6, 1999, in the Ministry’s 2000 Annual Work Conference, Chen instructed that the education system “shall build up the political sensitivity and responsibility, continue the fight against Falun Gong and try to solve the issue in its budding stage, maintain and improve the stable, positive situation in the education field, especially in the colleges and universities. [16]

On September 11, 2002, the “China Education” carried on its first page Chen’s speech, in which she asked the education system to “have a deeper understanding of the long-term, arduous and complex nature of the fight against Falun Gong and resolutely carry out the fight to the end.” [17]

On April 12, 2002, Chen authorized the General Office of the Ministry of Education to publish a document and distribute it within the Ministry. It stated: “Each local education department and school throughout the country shall pay a high degree of attention to the fight against Falun Gong, have a further clear understanding of the long-term, intense and complex nature of this fight, and build up the political responsibility and initiation in carrying out the task.” [18]

Chen’s reports and speeches revealed that the impact of the persecution and the slandering of Falun Gong reached far beyond one or two generations. In the first half of the school year 2001-2002, the Leshan Normal College included anti Falun Gong programs from CCTV and other media in China in the syllabus of the course “Situation and Policy,” spreading hate propaganda in a school that fosters future teachers. [19]

2.4 Spending large amount of the educational resources on the persecution

Chen’s speeches and the ensuing implementations of the persecution in the education system showed that a large amount of educational resources and manpower (especially from the colleges and universities) were used to persecute Falun Gong. They involved disciplines such as social science and natural science to provide theoretical and ideological basis for the persecution and the hi-tech field to develop software and internet control technologies to block the information of the truth of Falun Gong.

2.4.1 Using the Education System as an ideology hotbed for the persecution

Throughout the persecution, the Chinese education system has spent a large amount of educational resources and manpower to turn the system into an ideology hotbed for the persecution. In its notification in 1999, the Ministry asked all colleges and universities to “fully take advantage of the highly concentrated population of intellectuals, complete range of disciplines, and rich resources in theory and science research to play a distinctive role in the thorough exposing and criticizing of Falun Gong, promoting Marxist materialism and atheism, and popularising science and literacy.” [20]

On January 7, 2002, the Ministry of Education sent out notification to colleges and universities [21] regarding its priorities in 2002, which were to “deepen the press reform in the education system, strengthen the supervision on newspapers, TV, internet and other media and properly guide the public opinion, do a better job to stabilize colleges and universities and thoroughly carry out the battle against Falun Gong….”

On February 20, 2001, the “Fudan University Students Anti-cult Research Association” was established and a forum was held in Shanghai. Six doctorate advisors and professors participated in the slandering of Falun Gong. [22]

The Ministry also labelled Falun Gong anti natural science, called it a “pseudo science”, “feudal superstition” and used tools such as popularising natural science to attack Falun Gong. In the notice it sent to the colleges and universities around the country (8], the Ministry requested to “draw an even clearer distinction between materialism and idealism, atheism and faith, and science and superstition”, and use this as a theoretical base to promote anti Falun Gong propaganda on campuses. The science and technology group under the academic department at the Beijing Foreign Language University wrote in its notice, “Event purpose: The Beijing Foreign Language University is focused on literature and arts and seldom holds science and technology related events. Therefore, the academic department of the student union would like to take this opportunity to plan on a series of science and technology related events on campus, … which shall help resist the of spread of Falun Gong and other organizations.” [23] A large sum of money was spent on the event series that included seminars, photo exhibits, organizing students to volunteer at the science museum, and distributing free magazines, etc.

2.4.2 Hi-tech internet control to block information from the Falun Gong group

The Ministry also uses the colleges and universities for their advanced resources and manpower in the hi-tech research and development field and invested a great amount of resources and budget on internet control to block information from the Falun Gong group and other non-government organizations. As a result, a large number of teachers and students were involved in the persecution without knowing the truth.

1) Organizing Internet control

Take Shaanxi Province for example, on October 9, 2003, the Shaanxi Education Work Committee sent out a notice [24], requesting “all colleges and universities to earnestly implement the essence of the instruction from the provincial leaders, actively carry out a battle on the internet, and make this, especially the internet blockade an important part of the fight against Falun Gong.” It asked the Party committee in all schools to “conscientiously enhance the supervision of the battle on the Internet, organize resources and increase investment. University officials, especially the officials in charge, must conduct regular inspections, listen to reports, circulate information, analyse the battle situation and deploy specific assignments. Each ‘610’ office on campus shall fully collaborate with the internet control departments, make clear of each other’s responsibilities, tasks and goals, and actively organize work to block information blockage work.”

2) Drawing upon a large amount of rescources and manpower to enhance the internet administration to assist in the persecution of Falun Gong

The abovementioned document [24] also specified to “enhance the administration and the monitoring of the intranet and computer facilities on campus in all schools. Designate responsibility to specific individual and make the administrator accountable. Follow the requirement to ask each user to register with real name and keep a log of all Internet users. Conform to the regulations of Internet security administration and keep the log records for at least 60 days. Enhance the control and monitoring of the information on campus intranet. Monitor the on-line activities 24 hours a day and search and delete information deemed harmful immediately. Strictly prohibit campus personnel, in particular, Falun Gong members, from using the campus intranet and computer systems to visit Falun Gong websites and to search, download and upload anti-revolution propaganda material and other related information.”

The document also required each school to “pay attention to collecting and timely reporting the internet battle information, provide clues and assist the public security department and the security department to investigate visits to Falun Gong websites and, in particular, Falun Gong members who download and upload anti-revolution material and other related information.”

3) Creating anti-Falun Gong websites to build up hate propaganda and incite mass movement

The abovementioned document also specified to “…enhance the web security education of faculty members, students and staffs, increase their sense of the on-line battle, teach them not to log in or visit Falun Gong websites, call on them to actively participate in the on-line battle and proactively report any incidents of reading, downloading and uploading Falun Gong information, so as to form a good environment of mass participation and to build a defence line among the faculty members, students and staffs to resist Falun Gong’s on-line offensive.”

Case 1: Doctorate and Master’s degree students and university staff sentenced for distributing Falun Gong materials on-line

According to the Human Right Democracy Movement Information Centre in Hong Kong, five doctorate and master’s degree students and one university staff were sentenced on December 13 for distributing materials about the banned Falun Gong spiritual group. Yao Yue, graduate student of Class 1996 at the Institute of Microelectronics of the Qinghua University, were handed the longest sentence of 12 years in prison. The information centre also reported that Wang Xuefei, graduate student from Shanghai was sentenced to 11 years in prison; Meng Jun, teaching assistant and graduate student from the Electronics Engineering Department of the Qinghua University was sentenced to 10 years of prison term; Wang Xin, doctorate student at the Qinghua University was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Dong Yanhong, staff member at the Qinghua University was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Liu Wenyu, Yao Yue’s husband and doctorate student at the Qinghua University was sentenced to 3 years of jail term.

Case 2: Illegally arrested for visiting Minghui’s website

On August 20, 2002, seven Falun Gong practitioners were unlawfully tried at the suburb court of Hefei City. They were: Li Chuanfeng (born in Shandong province, post doctorate candidate majoring in quantum mechanics at the University of Science and Technology (USTC), made contributions to China’s quantum mechanics area and received an award from the Chinese Academy of Science), Zhao Gang (born in Jiangxi province, doctorate student in geophysics at USTC, graduated from the USTC gifted youth class, published articles in many international journals), Li Guofeng (born in Jiangxi province, graduate student in physical chemistry at USTC, became faculty member at Anhui University after graduation, published articles in many international journals), Zhang Jin (born in Hefei city, graduated from the Anhui Institute of Architectural Engineering in 1998, worked at the Anhui Design Institute of Light Industry, later became a teacher at the Anhui Xinhua Institute of Career Development), Zuo Qixiang (born in Hefei city, associate degree), and Li Yang (born in Xinjiang autonomous region, worked at a travel agency in Hefei city). Those seven Falun Gong practitioners were illegally arrested for visiting the Minghui websites. This was their first court appearance after being unlawfully detained for a year. In court, each of them clearly stated that all charges against them were groundless and fabricated. They have done nothing illegal. They were simply exercising their constitutional rights and they were innocent. Their lawyers all made not-guilty arguments. [25]

4) Adding more resources to provide technical support for Internet blockade

The document [24] also stated that “schools shall pay high attention to the application of the Internet blockade technology, increase the budget and technology investment and timely adopt hi-tech means or conduct technology update and innovation in order to effectively carry out the Internet blockade. In the meantime, colleges and universities that have the capabilities shall enhance the research and development of new web control technology, actively allocate resources to develop new hardware and software for Internet blockade, and provide the technical support for the on-line battle in our province.”

3. Persecution within the education system is a key part of the overall systematic persecution

Over the years, persecution carried out by Chen and other officials in the education system was not isolated, but rather an integral part of the overall systematic persecution launched by Jiang Zemin. The organizational structure of and the amount of the youth students in the education systems have made it a major target in carrying out the persecution and the hate propaganda.

3.1 Collaborating with other government bodies to participate in the persecution

The collaboration between the Ministry of Education and other government bodies in the persecution was evident in its connection with the “610” offices in each school, city, and province [24], as well as the public security department and the propaganda system. For example, the abovementioned document dated April 14, 2002 was circulated not only within the Ministry, but also the central “610” office and the public security department, ordering more anti-Falun Gong activities to be organized in elementary schools and middle schools. It became the official document for further carrying out the persecution in the Ministry of Education.

3.1.1 “610” office within the education system

A notice sent by Shanxi province’s Office of the Education Work (ShanJiaoGongBan [2003] Document No. 49) clearly stated that the “‘610’ office in each school shall fully cooperate with the internet control department on campus,” which showed that the persecution of Falun Gong had permeated among all schools.

3.1.2 Connections between the education system and the provincial and municipal “610” offices

The Office of the Party committee at the Xi’an Jiaotong University wrote in its campus newsletter (Campus Newsletter 524): “Zhang Maizeng, director of the (Shanxi) provincial ‘610’ office, deputy director of the provincial propaganda department, deputy secretary of the provincial Party committee and deputy secretary of Xian Jiaotong University’s Party committee briefed the situation of the fight against Falun Gong both in China and abroad and recognized the accomplishments our university has achieved in the past several years. He also gave the following expectations and requirements of our future work: 1) Continue to enhance the campus administration and do well on the ‘five involvements’ work; 2) Raise the intensity and make the campus intranet a powerful weapon to fight against Falun Gong; 3) Improve on the transformation work and try to achieve the goal of transformation rate within three years; 4) Further enhance the study of anti-cult theory to promote the anti-cult activities. (DangBan)” [26]

3.1.3 Collaborating with the propaganda system to launch hate propaganda

On February 2, 2001, Chen issued an order through the Ministry of Education, requiring every level of the school system to widely carry out the “Say No to Cult on Campus” activities aimed at Falun Gong [21]. For several days afterwards, the web version of the Chinese Education newspaper carried numerous anti Falun Gong articles on its front page, resulting in a new wave of slandering, attacking and persecuting of Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners in the education system throughout China.

3.2 Using the structure of the education system to exert mind control and to promote persecution

Similar to all other political movements in the Chinese history, (e.g., students were the first to be instigated to participate in the Cultural Revolution), Jiang, through Chen, selected students as his first target to instigate a mass movement of persecution of belief. They exerted mind control over students, especially those in middled schools and elementary schools, who were rather naïve and immature, and carried out the persecution in the education and other systems. The unique structure of the education system had made it easy to spread hate propaganda and incite hate activities.

Oftentimes, it took only one notice to mobilize hundreds, even millions, of students. For example, after the staged “self immolation” on Tiananmen Square, on February 1, 2001, the Party committee of the Ministry of Education headed by Chen and the Communist Youth League Central Committee issued a joint notice [21], requiring a wide variety of anti-Falun Gong activities to be held in all provincial, autonomous regional and municipal party committee and the education departments, as well as the Communist Youth League committee and all institutions directly under the Ministry of Education.

On February 6, 2001, 8 million youths from nearly 1,000 communities in 100 cities nationwide, incited and directed by Wang Maolin, director of the central “610” office, Zhou Qiang, first secretary of the Communist Youth League Central Committee (CYLCC), and Zhao Yong, secretary of the CYLCC, participated in the anti-Falun Gong activities. It was reported that on that one day alone, over 500 thousand posters were posted, 10 million pieces of propaganda material were distributed, and 200 public gatherings were held. The report stated that, “Youths from Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Shanghai, Tianjin, Jilin, Jiangsu, Shandong, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Fujian, Neimenggu and other areas have gone on the streets, visited communities to launch a large scale anti-Falun Gong movement. The created anti-Falun Gong window displays, posted pictures and posters, distributed pamphlets and played video and audio tapes.” [27]

In addition, various methods were used to manipulate students to spread the hate propaganda to families and society [28], 29]. Beijing’s Youth Work Committee and the Education Committee jointly held a live conference, “Say No to Cult on Campus”, at the Xichengqu No. 2 Experimental Elementary School and at the same time, held a signature petition called “Resist Falun Gong with Our Parents” among all the Young Pioneers in Beijing. The Youth Work Committee also required that the Young Pioneer counsellors fill out the “Survey on Practicing Falun Gong among the Family Members of the Young Pioneers in Beijing.” In February 2001, a signature petition called “Signing the Civilization Covenant” aimed at Falun Gong was held in more than 1,500 so-called “Youth Civilization Communities” in 100 cities around the country. Mobilized by the young students, over 12 million residents in these communities signed the petition, promising to “not to believe, not to spread but resist Falun Gong.” [27]

Since colleges students, faculties, experts and scholars have active minds and can access information through a wide range of sources, colleges have always been the ideology hotbed in all movements in the recent history of China, such as the “May 4th” Youth Movement, the “Cultural Revolution”, and the “June 4th” Student Democracy Movement. In order to prevent the intellectuals from knowing the truth and becoming awakened, colleges and universities have also become a major target for the hate propaganda, mind control and the persecution. Under the direct order of the Committee of Education, colleges and universities launched hate propaganda and instigated students to participate in the persecution. A few of the countless examples were the anti-Falun Gong column on the Qinghua University’s campus website [30], anti-Falun Gong cartoon exhibits at the Northwest University of Technology and the Southern China Normal University, anti-Falun Gong essay contest at the LanZhou University, and so on. [32] (Please refer to Part 2 of the Investigative Report for details)

Anti-Falun Gong posters were displayed “Exposing and Criticizing Falun Gong “ forum
along the main street on the campus of the Beijing was held at the Beijing Foreign Language University
Foreign Language University [31] under the name of “Say No to Cult on Campus” [31]

4. Following Jiang’s policy of “Defaming Their Reputations and Destroying Them Physically and Financially.”

An April 16, 2002 document stated: “For those Falun Gong members who have yet to be transformed, or who have been dealt with before, schools for the time being shall not place them with direct teaching assignments. Instead, they should be placed under specially assigned personnel for thorough education and transformation to prevent them from continuing their practice of Falun Gong…” “Make use of various activities such as meetings, legal seminars, popular science contests, arts performances, and community events to help elementary and middle school students to see through the cult nature of Falun Gong”. “Each education department shall, under the leadership of the local Party committee, conduct a wide range of propaganda and education among all elementary and middle schools by using typical anti-Falun Gong cases, posters, video tapes and CDs, etc. to further expose and denounce Falun Gong… All education departments shall follow the essence of this Notice and develop concrete plans. Status report shall be sent to the Ministry of Education in a timely fashion.” [17] The ensuing activities such as the “Million Signature” and “Say No to Cult on Campus” campaigns were results of the deployment of the decision-making level in the education system led by Chen. [33]

II. Depriving rights to education of Falun Gong practitioners, their family members and supporters

Since 1999, regulations such as “Falun Gong practitioners cannot enter exams, nor can they be admitted” began to appear in the recruiting and admission guidelines of various schools at all levels. Some even specified that “those who have immediate family members and/or other relatives that are members of Falun Gong are not to be admitted and accepted.” [34] Some guidelines listed attitude towards Falun Gong a part of the criteria for recruiting and admission. For example, the Eastern China Normal University listed in its 2003 Graduate School Admission Guideline the “attitude and understanding of certain important political issues, such as the Falun Gong issue” a condition for admission. It was evident that even a non-practicing student could lose his/her rights to education as long as he or she is sympathetic and supportive of Falun Gong.

Admission guidelines of these schools were all based on the related regulations and notifications from the Ministry of Education. It’s obvious that the decision to deprive the rights to education of Falun Gong practitioners, their family members and supporters came from the Ministry of Education. Below are some typical cases.

1. Secondary Vocational Schools

Case 1: Falun Gong practitioners excluded from 2003’s enrollment to the secondary vocational schools in Wenshan autonomous prefecture.

It was clearly stated in the “By-laws of Wenshan Autonomous Prefecture 2003 Secondary Vocational Schools Enrollment Guideline” [35] that those who refused to give up the practice of Falun Gong were prohibited from applying for the vocational schools.

2. Colleges and Universities

Case 2: Beijing Institute of Electronic Science and Technology

Item 6 (3) of the enrollment requirements of the Beijing Institute of Electronic Science and Technology [36] specified that “applicant and his/her family members do not practice Falun Gong.”

3. Graduate Schools

Case 3: Attitude towards Falun Gong an enrollment criterion for the Eastern China Normal University graduate program in 2003

In the document titled “On the Final Exam for Recruiting 2003 Graduate Students of the Eastern China Normal University” [37], it claimed that the University had “received an urgent notice from the Ministry of Education.” Under the third item, “Materials required,” of the final exam requirements, it required that an “Ideological and Political Conducts Affidavit” to be filled out to “list candidate’s political views, ideological behaviour, attitude towards work and study, professional ethics, and law-abiding records, and to explain the candidate’s attitude and understanding of certain major political events, such as the Falun Gong issue. Such affidavit must be filled out by the unit where the candidate’s personal file is located, and the official seal is required.”

Case 4: Applicants asked to endorse the persecution policies and defend the oppression using the tone of the Chinese government during the final exam of the 2003 graduate program entrance exam at the Institute of Marine Study

The Institute of Marine Study requested all applicants for the 2003 graduate program to take a final exam in the form of an interview. During the conversation, the experts would observe and judge applicant’s expression skill and comprehension, reflection and response ability. Applicants were required to express his/her views of the necessity for the Chinese government to ban Falun Gong and elaborate on his/her own understanding. [38] Applicants were not only forced to endorse the persecution of Falun Gong but also to defend the oppression using the tone of the Chinese government.

4. Specialized Universities and Colleges

4.1 Art Academy

Case 5: Department of Art in the Beijing Normal University

Beijing Normal University’s Department of Art clearly stated in its 2002 full-time undergraduate students enrollment general regulations [39] that “Falun Gong practitioners” were prohibited from applying.

4.2 Military Academy

Case 6: The “Guilt by Implication” policy in the admission rules for the national defense students

On May 31, 2001, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Security, and the General Political Department in the People's Liberation Army issued the “Notice Regarding the Admission of National Defense Students in Some Universities.” Item 5 of the Notice prescribed that people who had practiced Falun Gong, whose “direct family members and relatives were Falun Gong members” were not to be admitted or accepted. It deprived the students who practiced Falun Gong of their rights to enrolment. Furthermore, their direct family members and relatives were also deprived of rights to enrolment simply because they were “guilt by implication.”

Case 7: Falun Gong supporters and sympathizers also denied of rights to enrolment

The “Self-recommendation Criteria for Applicants of Air Force Pilots” [40] published on September 26, 2003, clearly indicated that “people who fall into any of the following categories are not recommended to apply.” People who “have practiced Falun Gong or do not have a clear understanding of the Falun Gong issue” were listed under Item 7 of these categories, which implied that even though one does not practice Falun Gong, as long as he/she supports or sympathizes with Falun Gong, he/she would not be allowed to apply for Air Force pilot.

4.3 Normal Schools

Case 8: Recommendation for Admission Policy in the Fujian Normal University

The first article of the “Policy on Accepting Students Recommended to the Fujian Normal University for Exam Exemption” [41] outlined the political ideology requirements for the admission. Candidates must “support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party” and “have no involvement with Falun Gong.”

III. Promoting Hate Propaganda and Mind Control in Universities, Colleges, Middle Schools and Elementary Schools

As the officials in the educational system headed by Chen carried out the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, they also infused hate propaganda into the educational field. They launched mind control on a large scale and coerced faculty members, staffs and students to participate in the persecution.

1．The systematic organization and promoting of the “Million Signature” campaign in schools around the country

On February 1, 2001, the Party committee of the Ministry of Education and the Communist Youth League Committee jointly issued a notice [21, 33] requiring schools of all levels around the country to launch anti Falun Gong signature campaigns. Soon after the notice, the education system first launched the “Million Signature” campaign, luring, deceiving, coercing, or threatening students to sign the petition to denounce Falun Gong. Afterwards, through media campaign on the People’s Daily, Guangming Daily and other state mouthpieces, the “Million Signature” was introduced to and implemented in colleges, universities, as well as society in large. In February 2001, the Guangming Daily carried intensive coverage of anti-Falun Gong movement. [43, 44, 45, 46] The “Million Signature” was later brought to the United Nations, in an attempt to convince the world that the persecution had the support of the public opinion. Acknowledgements from a small number of foreign governments and organizations were then sent back to China as proofs of international community. Children were victimized without knowing the truth and were used by Jiang’s regime as a tool in the persecution of Falun Gong. Starting from early February, 2001, right after the winter break, this signature campaign was launched in schools of all levels around China.

Case 1: Students signed petition against their will under the pressure

Qu, Mingjun, an eight-year old elementary school student, said, “The day before yesterday, the school teacher announced that all students must sign the petition to denounce Falun Gong. At that time I said in my heart that I would not sign at all and I would look for chance to escape. But my teacher stood in front of me all the time. I dared not leave. I had to sign at the end.” [47]

Case 2: Coercing and luring students to sign the petition

On May 23, 2001, the Minghui web site reported a parent’s witness of how the school forced students to sign the petition: [48]

“My son Xiaobao is eight years old and is in second grade. On the first of the spring term in 2001, Xiaobao’s school carried out an anti Falun Gong signature petition. During the exercise break between classes, I got to the school playground when the so-called “exposing and criticizing Falun Gong” speech just took place. I witnessed the whole signing process.

“At that moment, there were three cameras shooting from different angles. The secretariat of the school spoke first to criticize Falun Gong. Afterwards, he told the teachers to keep an eye on their students to make sure that everyone signed the petition. The signing began after the representatives of teachers and students gave their speeches. The teachers signed first, and then the students signed one by one under the supervision of their teachers.

“Perhaps it’s my presence that strengthened Xiaobao’s resolve. Since Xiaobao did not sign, His teacher, Teacher Guo, dragged him and forced him to sign. Xiaobao did not sign, clenching his hand firmly while tears running down his cheeks …… Later, since Xiaobao was the only student who did not sign, the school reported his behaviour to the Teacher’s Training Center and talked with him many times as well, coercing and luring. They threatened to not allow Xiaobao to join the Young Pioneer League, not allow him to be elected as a class leader and a Three-Excellent student. Later Xiaobao said that during the exercise break between classes several days before, Secretariat Xiao told him: Go to sign your name! Once you sign, you could wear a red scarf (as a Young Pioneer). Xiaobao said: I want to wear the red scarf, but I do not want to sign my name!”

Case 3: Expelled from school for refusing to sign the petition

According to Xinsheng Net’s report on May 5, 2001, the Chengdu University of Chinese Medicine issued a notice to force every student to sign the anti Falun Gong banner. Those who refused would be expelled from the university. At the same time, volumes of Great-Cultural-Revolution-like “Big posters”, banners and propaganda materials appeared on campus, attacking Falun Gong and its founder. [49]

2. Anti Falun Gong propaganda compiled into the textbooks and the exam, including college entrance exam papers

Through certain departments within the education system, the Ministry headed by Chen compiled anti Falun Gong propaganda into middle school and elementary school’s textbooks, threatening students with exam scores, advancement to higher grades and future prospects. The anti Falun Gong material was also included in various exam papers including college and graduate program entrance exams, compelling students to give in.

In a document issued by the Education Department of Zhejiang province [50], all schools in the province were required to “conduct anti cult education based on middle and elementary school students’ age and psychological characters, combing the current affairs policy education and legal education and using Falun Gong as a negative example. In order to assist the anti cult education in the middle schools and the elementary schools, the Office of Teaching and Research has, in conjunction with the textbook reform, compiled the propaganda and study materials for the anti cult education for local schools to select.” [50]

Case 4: Anti Falun Gong materials compiled into middle school and elementary school’s textbooks

A book titled “Say No to Cult on Campus” was distributed in middle schools and elementary schools in China. The book was edited by Xu Xian and published by Beijing Publishing House, a non-education publisher. It contained no educational contents but echoed media propaganda, grossly violating the “People’s Republic of China Compulsory Education Law.” (3)

Article 8 of the Education Law states: Compulsory education shall be placed under the State Council and be governed by the local government and managed at different levels. The department in charge of education under the State Council shall determine the teaching regulations, contents, curriculum, and textbooks of the compulsory education, based on the need for socialism modernization construction and the physical and mental development of children and youths.”

Under Chapter 4 – Education and Teaching, of the “Bylaws of the Implementation of the People’s Republic of China Compulsory Education Law,”

Article 20: Schools of compulsory education shall follow the instructional teaching plans and programs issued by the department in charge of education under the State Council and the provincial education department to conduct education and teaching activities.

Article 21: Schools of compulsory education shall select the textbooks examined and approved by the department in charge of education under the State Council or its authorized provincial education department. Unexamined and unapproved textbooks are prohibited to use.

There were many examples of similar teaching materials as mentioned above. For example, textbook titled “Politics for Second Graders at Middle School” (Volume One) contained tens of thousands of words that attacked and distorted Falun Gong and its founder.

On page 191 of “The 2002 Complete Essentials for the Secondary Politics Open-book Test,” under the “Hot Topics” section, statements that were totally opposite to the truth of Falun Gong were listed as correct answers. (51)

Case No. 5: Test questions contained anti Falun Gong contents

1) Questions and answers to No. 18 and No. 22 of the multiple choices of the political theory test of the 2001 Graduate school entrance exam (52) (It was reported that, for the first time in history, the number of students taking graduate school entrance exam exceeded half a million in 2001) contained contents that distorted Falun Gong practitioners as aliens who had abnormal and dangerous thoughts and demeanors.

2) Mock test of the comprehensive college entrance exam

There were extensive anti Falun Gong contents in the various mock entrance exams posted on the Course Teaching Net. For instance, in the mock exam for the 2003 college entrance exam for liberal arts applicants, Falun Gong practitioners’ tapping into the Chinese cable TV to expose the persecution was labelled as “TV Sabotage Incident” and put into a question. Applicants were required to classify the incident according to the official statements. (53)

3) In the mock exam of the 2001 college entrance exam of History, government’s statements against Falun Gong were repeated. (54)

4) The 2002 Elementary School Graduation Exam of Chinese Language in Yuyao city, Zhejiang province. [55]

Case 6: Middle school girl in Heilongjiang province arrested for refusing to answer quiz questions slandering Falun Gong

The Epoch Times reported on February 1, 2003 (56): Wang, Lin, a 17-year old resident of Machang, Suiling county in Heiliongjiang provice. In July 2002, Wang took part in the Heilongjiang provincial high school entrance exam. When answering a question on her politics exam paper that slandered Falun Gong, Wang wrote, “Falun Dafa is good”, “Falun Dafa is a righteous Law.” As a result, Wang was persecuted by the Political-Legal committee, the Public Security Bureau and the Education Department of Suiling county. She was forced to leave home, and parents were beaten by the “610” office.

According to Minghui Net’s recent report, in May 2003, while Wang was working temporary jobs in Haerbin, she was illegally arrested and had since been detained in Suiling county. The head of the local “610” office said: We’ll detain Wang for the time being until she is old enough to be sentenced. Her family was hoping that people could help this young girl get released as soon as possible. [57]

Case 7: Anti Falun Gong propaganda compiled into normal colleges and universities’ teaching materials to influence future teachers

As the Leshan Normal College laid out the syllabus for the “Situation and Policy” course for the first half of the school year 2001-2002, it allocated 2 class hours for the teaching of “advocating science and resisting cult” and requested to “organize students to earnestly study, understand, and implement the documents and materials against Falun Gong issued by the Central Committee, the education department of Sichuan province, and the Sichuan Communist Youth League Committee. Unify the thoughts, raise the understanding levels and set up scientific and civilized thoughts.” Key reference materials included “The Whole Story of the Self Immolation on Tiananmen Square” (the People’s daily, the China Education, and the Sichuan Daily, January 31, 2001), editorials from the Xinhua News Agency, and the anti Falun Gong column on the Ministry of Propaganda’s web site.

3. Students forced to watch anti Falun Gong movies

The Minghui Net reported on September 11, 2003 [58]: authorities in Changchi town, Nanjiang county, Sichuan province forced all students in the Changchi elementary school to watch anti Falun Gong movies. During the showing, all theatre exists were guarded, and students were not allowed to leave even if they didn’t want to watch. One kid was slapped on the face and pinched on the ear for stepping out and was scared to tears. When the students were back to school, they were required to write down their thoughts after watching the movie.

The Mnghui Net reported on December 28, 2002, in an article titled “The Education Committee in Jin Zhou district, Dalian city deceived various units, the elementary and middle school students to watch the movie that slandered Falun Gong” [59]: “Recently the Education Committee in Jin Zhou district, Dalian city organized various units, the elementary and middle school students to watch the movie that slandered Falun Gong. Some staff and students were not notified in advance and therefore did not realize that they were deceived to watch the movie until they were in the theater. Many were resentful and said: “Had I known the truth, I would never come. They even charged us so much money.”

The Department of Education in Changzhou city, Jiangsu province followed the instructions from the “610” office and the Department of Propaganda of the city’s Party committee to allocate quota to each direct reporting school to watch the anti Falun Gong musical show named "Unusual Mother and Daughter." Every school paid for the tickets and was required to “attend the show on time without any absence.” It was further indicated that the quota could only be increased versus reduced. [60]

4. Hate Propaganda on Campus

On February 1, 2001, the Party committee of the Ministry of Education, the Communist Youth League Central Committee jointly issued a notice calling of launching the “Say No to Cult on Campus” campaign in schools of all kinds, all levels in China. [21] The Notice required all schools around the country to “organize” the signature campaign of “Say No to Cult on Campus,” hold forums on legal affairs, popular science contests, arts performance, and club activities, increase the propaganda intensities of campus radio station, cable TV station, Internet, campus newsletter, bulletin board, and other campus publications to create a powerful environment and momentum to resist cult on campus.

Case 8: The Northwest University of Technology

The University held “knowledge contest” as a tool to infuse anti Falun Gong in students’ minds.

Case 9: Setting up anti Falun Gong column on university's official website.

In February 2001, the student website at the Qinghua University introduced an anti Falun Gong column. The Xinhua News Agency reported [62]: “The Communist Youth League Committee at the Qinghua University made full use of the rich web resources and this new column to lead the students to criticize Falun Gong. The host of this column Wang Juye is a graduate student majoring in the Marxist theory research and ideological and political education at the Qinghua University.”

Below is the picture of the anti Falun Gong column on Northwest University of Technology’s website. [63]

Case 10: Using students who did not know the truth about Falun Gong to “transform” Falun Gong practitioners. [64]

On July 15, 2002, the “Sanxiashang” service team from the Chongqing University held propaganda activities to “advocate science and resist cult” in villages of Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. They handed out anti Falun Gong posters and printing materials and made speeches to the villagers. [65]

IV. Exporting the Persecution to Overseas Under the Cover of “Education and Culture Exchange” and “Spreading the Chinese Culture”

Because of the illegality of the persecution and the resistance from the international community, the persecution of Falun Gong in the education system headed by Chen went from open to concealed, and became more deceiving. At the same time, the persecution has also been gradually exported to overseas through diplomatic channels under the cover of “Culture and Education Exchange”. On July 3 and 4, 2002, a National Education Foreign Affairs Conference organized by the Ministry of Education was held in the Beijing Convention Centre. Close to 300 government officials including those who were in charge of the foreign affairs in colleges and universities directly under the Ministry and the local Department of Education in each province, autonomous regional and municipality. Education attachés from a number of overseas embassies and consulates as well as some officials from the Ministry of Education also attended the conference. Chen attended the conference and gave a speech, indicating that the education department in overseas embassies and consulates had played a significant role in attacking Falun Gong. [66]

1. Penetrating the overseas Chinese community by means of sponsoring Chinese schools and education exchange programs.

Taking the Chinese embassy and consulates in the United States for example, these diplomatic bodies pushed the persecution of Falun Gong into the American society through student exchange programs, textbook donation to Chinese schools, or other means to win over Chinese school teachers. Former Chinese Ambassador to the United States Yang Jiechi spoke at a New Year gala organized by the Embassy for Chinese school teachers, stating that the overseas Chinese established close to 600 Chinese schools, many of which had became cultural centers of the Chinese communities and had “made positive contributions in spreading the Chinese culture and rooting out Falun Gong.” China News Net reported on January 4, 2003, “More than 300 Chinese school teachers from Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware attended the Gala. The Embassy also donated textbooks to the local Chinese schools.” [67]

2. Penetrating the Chinese community under the cover of cultural exchange

Under the guise of “Spread the Chinese Culture,” officials in the education system infused hate propaganda and exported the persecution of Falun Gong onto the foreign soils, trying to lure international support to cover the persecution and to coerce these countries to participate in the persecution.

In recent years, Chen frequently visited other countries to extend the persecution onto these foreign soils under the same guise. The Sino-French annual cultural exchange was one of the examples. The idea of this cultural exchange came from the official visits between the former Chinese president Jiang Zemin and the French president Chirac in 1999 and 2000. During Jiang’s visit to France, he told a La Figaroreporter that Falun Gong was a “cult.” [68] In October 2003, Jiang’s trusted follower Chen visited France and cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the “Chinese Culture Year” on October 6. [69] Between November 17 and 30, 2003, the “Chine’s Higher Education in the 21st Century Expo” was held in France [70]. Officials from the Ministry of Education led the Chinese delegation, which was made of 200 to 300 members from close to 100 major colleges and universities (including Qinghua University, Beijing University, and Chongqing University where the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners were most severe), educational institutions, foundations, student arts performing group and media representatives. The deputy Minister of Education Zhang Xinsheng attended the opening ceremony.

Soon after, Falun Gong practitioners were illegally detained by the French police during Chinese president Hu Jingtao’s visit to France in February 2004. [71]

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[47]Comprehensive News Report from China – Minghui Net, May 23, 2001 (Back)
[48]Xinsheng Net report, May 5, 2001 (Back)
[49]Department of Education in Zhejiang province distributed the notice from the Ministry of Education regarding conducting further anti cult education in middle schools and elementary schools, Zhejiang Education Net (Back)
[50]“Politics for the second grade of Junior High School (Volume I)” from the “Optimum Design of simultaneous measurement and control in Junior High School” Series (Back)
[51]Questions and answers on political theory in the 2001 graduate school entrance exam (Back)
[52]Question no. 4 of the mock exam for the 2003 college entrance exam for liberal arts applicants (Back)
[53]Mock exam on History for college entrance exam, Chinese Basic Education Net (Back)
[54]The 2002 Elementary School Graduation Exam of Chinese Language in Yuyao city, Zhejiang province (Back)
[56]“Middle school girl in Heilongjiang province arrested for refusing to answer quiz questions slandering Falun Gong” – Epoch Times, February 1, 2003 (Back)
[57]“Female middle school student illegally arrested for truthfully answering quiz question” – Minghui Net, January 31, 2004 (Back)
[58]“Elementary school students in Nanjiang county, Sichuan province forced to watch anti Falun Gong movie; those who refused got slapped on the face and pinched on the ear” – Minghui Net, September 11, 2003 (Back)
[59]“Education Committee of Jingzhou county, Dalian city deceived local schools and forced teachers and students to watch anti Falun Gong movies” – Minghui Net, December 28, 2002 (Back)
[60]Notice on organizing students to watch the contemporary musical, “Unusual Mother and Daughter” – Department of Education, Changzhou city (Back)
[61]Brief introduction to the “Advocate Science, Resist Cult” knowledge contest at Northwest University of Technology (Back)
[62]“Anti Falun Gong column introduced at Qinghua University’s website” – Xinhua News Agency, February 28, 2001 (Back)
[63] Anti Falun Gong column at Northwest University of Technology’s website (Back)
[64]“Involved in the community, uphold stability – law school students from the legal assistant center involved in the community work of transforming Falun Gong practitioners” – Education Development at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, Issue 200310, March 31, 2003 (Back)
[65]Chongqing University students held anti cult event in the village (Back)
[66]Chen Zhili spoke at the National Foreign Affairs Conference held between July 3 and 4, 2002, stressing to “broaden global views, open a new era.” (Back)
[67]“Yang Jiechi emphasized the expansion of the bilateral interests between China and the United States in the coming new year” – China News Net, January 4, 2003 (Back)
[68]Jiang Zemin labeled Falun Gong an “evil cult” during the interview with the French newspaper La Figaro (Back)
[69]“Grand opening of the Chinese Culture Year in Paris, France” – People’s Daily Net, October 6, 2003 (Back)
[70]Summary of the Sino-French education exchange (Back)
[71]Illegal arrest of Falun Gong practitioners – French authority lacks justification (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
Website： http://www.upholdjustice.org/, http://www.zhuichaguoji.org/

Chinese Link

http://www.zhuichaguoji.org/node/106