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China's Crisis of Faith
Followers of Falun Gong have been giving Beijing nightmares
By JAIME A. FLORCRUZ
November 2, 1999
Web posted at 7:30 p.m. Hong Kong time, 7:30 a.m. EDT
For days the startling pattern has repeated itself. Sitting in the lotus-style position, a motley group of men and women gather in Tiananmen Square in passive defiance of state edicts. Policemen hustle them onto vans for detention--but the protesters are replaced the following day by scores of new devotees. Like a broken record, the cycle keeps repeating itself, to Beijing's consternation and embarrassment.
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For the past week, followers of Falun Gong--a group that follows an amalgam of breathing exercises, Buddhism and Taoism--have been giving Beijing's leadership political and public-relations nightmares. In Beijing, Hong Kong and Washington, Falun Gong followers (they claim to have more than 60 million adherents worldwide) have pulled off well-coordinated demonstrations and press campaigns to protest the government's crackdown and win public sympathy. Although only a few hundred people have actually taken part in Tiananmen sit-ins, it has been enough to remove the veneer of "social stability" that Beijing has so carefully cultivated.
The recent series of protests marks Falun Gong's first face-off with the authorities since July, when Beijing banned the sect as a superstitious group that "sabotages social stability." The Chinese leadership seems bent on totally dismantling the sect. China's press last Tuesday accused Falun Gong's core leaders of "leaking state secrets," preparing public opinion for their criminal prosecution. The following day, the People's Daily, echoing President Jiang Zemin's earlier pronouncements, branded Falun Gong as a "xiejiao" (cult).
Typically, such a highly publicized crackdown would suffice to intimidate rank-and-file followers of an alienated group. In Falun Gong's case, however, it has merely emboldened many adherents. Last week's demonstrations were aimed at blocking passage of legislation against "cults" and "superstitious sects" that was being considered by the national parliament. Despite the protests, the law was unanimously passed on Friday. Scores of devotees continued their sit-in protests over the weekend.
Will the crackdown stop the much-maligned group? Not fundamentally. Surely, it has scared off some adherents. Says one devotee (who requests anonymity): "I never really got deep into [Falun Gong]. I practiced it to improve my health but now that it has become too political, I'm out of it." The sexagenarian pensioner is a veteran Communist Party member. But many other followers deeply believe they have found a genuine solution to their worries and that they are not breaking any laws. "These people are merely seeking spiritual mooring and social security," says a qigong master in Beijing. "They are not anti-Party."
Many believe the crackdown is being driven by domestic politics. "It is meant to divert people's attention from other problems," says a political science lecturer in Beijing. Such analysts believe Falun Gong's appeal is merely symptomatic of the spiritual vacuum in China now: millions of Chinese, caught up in the rapid changes of the past two decades, are being attracted to religions and sects like Falun Gong that offer comfort and security--and meaning--to their lives. The current crackdown is turning many well-meaning adherents into anti-Party elements and fugitives. "We don't understand why they are persecuting us," complains a bespectacled university student in Beijing. "We are law-abiding and we teach kindness and self-cultivation. What's wrong with that?" If Beijing fails to win their hearts, the suppression could lead to more popular alienation, spark more protests and even lead to a political crisis.
The relentless campaign to demonize Falun Gong may be succeeding, but the group is far from disintegrating. True, Beijing in the short run may get away with its political gamble. The typically apolitical populace may go along with the crackdown as long as it is perceived to help ensure social stability. Moreover, the political fall-out overseas seems likely to be faint and controllable. The full force of the government machinery and official press could be harnessed to isolate Falun Gong's diehards and demoralize its rank and file. In the long run, however, Beijing could terminally lose its battle for the Chinese soul if it cannot fundamentally address China's crisis of faith.
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