Thailand: Falun Gong Performance at King's Birthday Celebration Cancelled Due to CCP Interference

Falun Gong practitioners from Thailand prepared a fabulous performance for the gala of the 79th birthday of King Bhumibol, and were prepared to celebrate the holiday with the local people at the royal field, Sanam Luang. However, the organisers canceled their performance just prior to the gala.

On December 3rd, 2006, Mr. Pitoon, a local Falun Gong spokesperson, said that the organisers cancelled their performance due to pressure exerted by the Chinese Embassy. The police department said that they received orders from the office of Prime Minister to cancel the Falun Gong group's performance.

Mr. Pitoon said that this is interference from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Falun Gong practitioners from Thailand have attended and performed at many activities. They demonstrate the beauty of Falun Gong to the Thai people and expose the CCP's brutal persecution of Falun Gong, which makes the CCP fear them. Mr. Pitoon said King Bhumibol's birthday is the most important holiday in Thailand, but the CCP has no respect for this holiday and interferes with it. As a result, the CCP has damaged the dignity of Thailand. Mr. Pitoon said that the CCP has interfered with Falun Gong practitioners' activities more than once. In fact it always tries to ruin practitioners' activities. Mr. Pitoon said, "I have contacted ITV for an interview, but the Chinese Embassy interfered there as well, so the interview was not aired."

One day before the celebration of the King's birthday, the Chinese Embassy called the Falun Gong contact person and threatened him, telling him to not attend the gala. The contact person asked for a reason, but the officer from the Chinese Embassy failed to give a reason.

General Yugtana, secretary of "The King of Thailand Birthplace Foundation," the royal organiser of the gala, said the Foundation was told not to get involved in politics and ruin Thailand's relationship with China. He said that the foundation is upset and will investigate this issue and report the investigation result to the higher organisation.

Falun Gong practitioners pointed out that people have freedom of belief in Thailand and Falun Gong is legally established there. It is a violation of human rights that the CCP used the "relationship between China and Thailand" as justification for threats, and interfered with the celebration of the King's birthday. The CCP not only persecutes Falun Gong in China, but also tries to interfere with it overseas. Falun Gong practitioners condemn and protest the CCP's behaviour and call upon international society to stop CCP crimes and to stop the persecution of Falun Gong.