Thailand’s Supreme Administrative Court reversed the previous ruling of a lower administrative court and negated advice from the Interior Ministry on August 4 to allow Falun Gong practitioners the right to register officially, thus making the religious group lawful.
“People naturally have the freedom to practice their faiths, and their actions are protected under the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, unless those actions contradict with citizens’ duties or violate peace and order or the good morality of the people,” the verdict reads.
Falun Gong is a Chinese spiritual practice that combines Qigong exercises and meditation with oriental philosophies revolving around truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Also known as Falun Dafa, Falun Gong is a highly organized global movement with widespread media operations that focus on publicizing the abuse and persecution of Chinese nationals at the hands of Chinese authorities. At present, the group’s official newspaper, The Epoch Times, is circulated in Washington, D.C. and in 35 countries to make evident its mission, which is to throw light upon China’s religious atrocities and organize frequent protests around the world.
A little more than 10 Falun Gong practitioners appeared in court to hear the verdict, which took less than 10 minutes to read, thus bringing an end to a decade long legal battle over the constitutionality of the religious group.
In January 2005, Falun Gong practitioners had filed a petition in the district of Phayathai to be allowed to register an association called Falun Gong Studies in Thailand. However, the Local Administration Department of Thailand’s Interior Ministry rejected the request in September that year on grounds that approving such an association would indicate that Thailand is in support of the Falun Gong movement. The ministry signaled that its approval could in turn affect the country’s relations with China, where the religious group was banned in 1999 for seeming to be a dangerous cult that is involved in inciting violence and hindering social stability.
Falun Gong practitioners argued however that the Interior Ministry’s decision was based on incorrect information from Beijing that has accused the group of contorting Buddhism and criticizing the Chinese government as well as the Communist Party of China.
In 2010, three Falun Gong practitioners filed a lawsuit yet again, explaining how the group merely wants to engage in lawful activities by promoting holistic health practices and advocating spiritual teachings.
The Supreme Administrative Court ruled Tuesday that Article 82 (1) of the Civic Code allows the registrar to approve an association if it abides by law, is not unethical and does not disturb peace and stability or pose threat to national security. The court also pointed out that the directors of the association are decent individuals and fully capable of running Falun Gong in Thailand.
The court said the reason for registering the Falun Gong association, as given by the applicants was to, “promote Qiqong exercise in the Falun Gong style and exchange news and information among practitioners and the general public that has no political or profit-making agenda.”
Citing those reasons, the court ruled that Falun Gong should not be perceived as breaking the law or disrupting morality or causing any threat to national security.
“The Local Administrative Department's claim that the supporters of Falun Gong were outlawed in China and that allowing registration of the group would affect bilateral relations has nothing to do with this group of people who are registering an association in Thailand,” the court said.
The court also said there is little evidence to support allegations that the teachings of Li Hongzi, founder of Falun Gong, distort the ideals of Buddhism.
Last month, Falun Gong practitioners in Canada organized a rally in Edmonton to agitate against a former leader of the Communist Party of China who allegedly denied citizens their basic human rights by disallowing them the right a religion of their choice.
“These rights abuses include the killing of thousands, the imprisonment of millions in labour camps, the tortures, the rapes of tens of thousands, the destruction of tens of millions of families and the reports of over 60,000 murdered by state officials so their vital organs could be sold through state run hospitals,” said Chi Teh, a follower of Falun Gong, who added that the actual death toll is estimated to be much higher.
Protesters explained how the movement’s steady growth in China was perceived as a threat by Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin, as he feared that the religious group was gaining popularity much faster than he could control it.
“The communist regime controls people by way of brainwashing, lies and violence, so they don’t like anything that can teach people to be mentally independent,” said Chunyan Huang, another local practitioner of Falun Gong who was at the rally to raise awareness of the issue.
Reportedly, Zemin had ordered his government officials to completely eliminate practitioners of Falun Gong in 1999 and since then, countless people in China have complained about being harassed, assaulted, imprisoned on false grounds, recruited forcibly to labour camps and robbed off their organs even for supporting or tolerating the global movement. Despite the continuing persecution, even though Zemin retired as President of China in 2003 and Chairman of the Central Military Commission the following year, it seems as though the general perception of Falun Gong practitioners has improved slightly. According to the group’s website minghui.org, more than 80,000 legal complaints have been filed against Zemin at the country’s Supreme Court by practitioners of Falun Gong since May this year. Apart from the former Chinese president, charges have been slapped against 10 other senior officials as well.
“This wave of filings is unprecedented and significant. It shows a ground swell of support across China and across the world to bring Jiang to justice,” said Teh.
Teh said despite Zemin’s orders to destroy Falun Gong completely, the movement managed to find support in over 100 countries though the abuse that Falun Gong practitioners continue to face in China is often left unreported. He also said that practitioners across the world hope that increased public awareness would create significant pressure on the current Chinese government to take action against Zemin and bring justice to all who have been persecuted over the years.
A few days before the Edmonton rally, lawmakers joined Falun Gong protesters outside the United States Capitol to show support for the global spiritual movement and condemn China’s unjustified crackdown on the religion’s followers.
“You're peaceful, you're compassionate, you're tolerant, you're people that should be respected for your beliefs instead of being persecuted by the Communist tyrants in Beijing,” House Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen told hundreds of practitioners, who had gathered on the Capitol grounds.
Most of them dressed in yellow shirts were carrying placards denouncing the abuse of Falun Gong practitioners in China and telling the stories of those who have fallen victim to Beijing’s clampdown.
In June, Ros Lehtinen along with other American lawmakers introduced a resolution, condemning China’s persistent violation of human rights and noting, “credible reports of systematic, state-sanctioned organ harvesting of Chinese prisoners of conscience, including a large number of Falun Gong practitioners.”
While Conservative Republican Ted Poe demanded Zemin be imprisoned immediately, four other elected officials joined the rally and a dozen others wrote letters to show their support. Various nonprofit groups like Reporters Without Borders were also present at the rally.
In the past, actress Anastasia Lin, who made human rights part of her victory bid to become Canada’s official nominee for the Miss World pageant, has also spoken out about religious persecution in China.
Born in China but brought up in Vancouver and Toronto, 25-year-old Lin, who plays the role of an imprisoned Falun Gong practitioner in the upcoming film The Bleeding Edge, said, “Through my encounters with persecution victims and their family members, I have found that these practitioners of Falun Gong, who have been marginalized, defamed and vilified in China for the past 16 years, are noble people.”
Speaking to the Congressional Executive Commission on China, Lin said practitioners of Falun Gong are frequently tortured and imprisoned for their religious beliefs.
“I wanted to speak for those in China that are beaten, burned and electrocuted for holding to their beliefs; people in prison who eat rotten food with blistered fingers because they dare have convictions.”
Lin also shared how her father was overjoyed when she was crowned Miss World Canada but it was not long before his tone changed.
“He told me nervously that I must stop my advocacy for human rights in China, or else he would have no choice but to sever contact with me,” Lin told the commission.
She detailed how Chinese security agents visited her father and forced him to make her back off from supporting the cause.
“I don't get to talk to him anymore… I hope that you can help Chinese people gain a voice, to support them in their wish to believe what they want to believe and talk to whomever they want to talk to about any topic they wish… I miss my dad,” she said.
In Hong Kong too, at least 14 practitioners of Falun Gong filed lawsuits against Zemin last month.
Photo Credits: Minghui
