Exposing the Chinese Consulate's Shady Meddling In Overseas Chinese Students' Organizations

Recently, at the election for the president of the University of Minnesota Friendship Association of Chinese Students and Scholars, (hereafter referred to as MUFACSS), the Consul of the Chinese Consulate in Chicago, Jiang Bo, and his assistant, Chen Jiacai, used underhanded tricks to prevent a third year undergraduate student, Falun Gong practitioner Wang Xiaodan, from selection.

It is understood that before this election, some of the MUFACSS members were pressured by the Chinese Consulate. Individuals were instigated by the Chinese Consulate to publish an article in the Minnesota University MITBBS stating that Falun Gong was aiming at taking over the MUFACSS and so on.

Wang Xiaodan was one of two candidates for the presidency. Because of her belief in Falun Gong, she attracted "close attention" from the Chinese Consulate and had to withstand great pressure from it.

There were many more voters in this election than in former years. Some people believed the dishonest statements they read in the article published by MITBBS, there were also some who did not see the article but had received telephone calls, but most of them do not really know about the significance of the entire process. Some even wrongly believed that those who did not have the right to vote but steadfastly requested to vote were non-members that were Falun Gong practitioners. Others realized that they had been hoodwinked. They did not know that the Chinese Consulate was involved in the background, stirring up discord. A section of the MUFACSS members revealed that they had difficulties, as there were matters that they could not disclose due to pressure from the Chinese Consulate. They were concerned about their return to China, their passports, green cards and that their employment may be disrupted by the Chinese Consulate.

According to Wang Xiaodan, there were not many Falun Gong practitioners that attended this election. Many who came were hoping to clarify the truth after reading the article in MITBBS. They did not attend just because they had the right to vote. Furthermore, there was no truth in the talk about Falun Gong wanting to take over MUFACSS.

Wang Xiaodan pointed out that Falun Gong is just a spiritual practice stressing conduct according to "Zhen-Shan-Ren" (Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance), asking the practitioners to make efforts to become better people. This is the process the practitioners refer to as cultivation. In an election, no practitioner would take to heart whether one wins or loses, and if one were to be elected, it simply implies that one has to take on more responsibility and work even harder.

In this incident, one of the main responsible persons in MUFACSS, You Yunqing, did not cooperate with the Chinese Consulate after their requests to do so, and was thus put under intense pressure. He confirmed that the Consul of the Chinese Consulate in Chicago, Jiang Bo and his assistant, Chen Jiacai had on several occasions slandered Falun Gong as a cult. In January this year Jiang Bo and Chan Jiacai had dinner with a number of students from the University of Minnesota, and after Falun Gong practitioner Wang Xiaodan left, Jiang Bo and Chen Jiacai began to attack and slander Falun Gong. Jiang Bo and Chen Jiacai asked students at the University of Minnesota by phone and on various other occasions to reject Falun Gong, and to prevent the Falun Gong practitioners from taking part in the various activities. They even asked the MUFACSS organizers not to allow any Falun Gong practitioners to be admitted to the Spring Festival evening celebration. Later, Falun Gong practitioners were in fact allowed into the evening event, and they even took part in the concert and performed a comedy dialog that drew a very enthusiastic response and applause.

On November 17, 2003, MUFACSS held a forum with the topic of discussion being the freedom of the press in China. Erping Zhang, a spokesperson for Falun Gong, and Dr. Gong Xiaoxia, formerly the Director of the Cantonese Section in the Voice of Free Asia, were both invited to speak. The organizer was Mr. You Yunqing. However, when the Chinese Consulate became aware of the invitation, Chen Jiacai personally phoned You Yunqing to slander Falun Gong, and asked him to openly express the stand MUFACSS was going to take on the issue of Falun Gong, and that the recurrence of such an invitation must never ever happen again. Mr. You was not willing to accede to such an order or to cooperate with the Chinese Consulate. As a result Mr. You's company received a tremendous amount of spam emails. The purpose was to intimidate Mr. You and cause problems for him at work. Under interference from the Chinese Consulate, a very good friend even phoned Mr. You to discontinue their friendship. It was an old tactic by the Chinese authorities to isolate their perceived "opponents" and attack them that way.

When Mr. You Yunqing expressed his views about Falun Gong, some people were afraid that the issue of Falun Gong would provoke trouble for themselves, despite the fact that the problems were caused by the people involved in the persecution of Falun Gong, not the Falun Gong practitioners. But, within the government of China, there are a few people who have power in their hands and are utilizing the whole national machinery to attack the most benign, harmless group of people. In such a case, do we criticize the perpetrators of the persecution or the victims who are being forced into a corner and have no alternative but to adopt the most peaceful resistance against such persecution? In fact, under such unjust treatment, to be able to preserve a peaceful stance, and be brave enough to cope with the pressure to resist this persecution is praiseworthy. We are all Chinese. Perhaps, in our individual way of tackling problems, our views and inclinations may be different, but it is hoped that everyone would try to understand each other. There are some who do know about the people who are perpetrating the persecution but would still cave in to them. There are also those who know the victims are innocent, yet they still go along with the Chinese authorities.

In the past four and a half years, Falun Gong practitioners have withstood lots of tremendous pressure, even to the extent of losing their property, livelihoods and even their lives in their effort of peaceful resistance. They indicated that they will place the cases on file for investigation and prosecution with the "World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong." They will collect evidence of the activities of the Chinese Consul, Jiang Bo and his assistant, Chen Jiacai of the Chinese Consulate in Chicago, at the universities, and at the appropriate time file lawsuits against the particular perpetrators.

On February 3, 2004, the Vice-Consul of the Chinese Consulate in Toronto, Pan Xinchun, was found guilty of slandering a Canadian Falun Gong practitioner, and a fine was imposed on him.

The Falun Gong practitioners of Minnesota pointed out that some people feel that the Falun Gong practitioners are fighting the Chinese government, which is a misconception. The Falun Gong practitioners oppose this persecution of innocent Chinese citizens, and are against the few individuals who have been the perpetrators of the persecution. The request by the Falun Gong practitioners is very simple, that is, to restore the legal right to freely practice Falun Gong. Not long ago, when Wen Jiabao visited the United States, there were quite a few Falun Gong practitioners who went to welcome him. They hung up banners with words of welcome to Wen Jiabao and asked to punish Jiang Zemin. In the past four and a half years, Jiang has utilized the name of the Chinese government to implement his personal vendetta against Falun Gong. Though there were many officials within the Chinese government who were opposed to the persecution, Jiang accused those opposing the persecution as being against the government and got his way. However, in time, everything will be revealed for the world to see.