A Glimpse Into the Daily Life and Work of Falun Gong's Founder 46 Rights Group Alarmed by UBC's Hosting of Hong Kong Government Recruitment Exam on Anti-Democratic Law
未講笑話前，先分析人物設定所反映意 識形態。有評論認為，該劇是「赤裸裸的民族 性格定型」(crass national stereotype)，每個學 生代表着人們眼中對某國的偏見。例如來自 中國的 Chung Su Lee 手中永遠拿着毛語錄， 凡事只會加以引述；代表德國的女學生 Anna Schmidt 性格粗魯，經常用手肘撞男同學；日 本學生 Tar Nagazumi 則把相機掛在頸項；錫克 教徒 Ranjeet Singh 常把事情搞錯，老師 Jeremy Brown「a thousand apologies」是其口頭禪。 各色人種齊來學英語，雖不至於營造「萬 邦來朝」，但當全班只有白人教師 Jeremy Brown 一個是「正常的」、其他都是「蠢笨的 外國學生」(inept foreign students)，不難看出 種族主義影子。眾多學生之中，官位最高的 應是 Chung Su Lee，她是中國大使館的書記 (secretary)：這一點似乎有點牽強，大使館人員 要學英語，應有特別安排，不需每天下班後趕
此劇擅長在不經意的細微處營造幽默效 果，幾乎每一分鐘都有笑料。首集開頭，Ali Nadim 步入校長室報到，當時時間尚早，校長 說：「You are early.」( 你早來了 ) Ali 回她：「Oh no, I am Ali.」( 噢，不是，我是 Ali)
這笑話不算含有種族成分，話說新任教師 Jeremy Brown 在班上與學生們第一次打招呼， 便是赤裸地以種族開玩笑。
Brown：「I am Brown」( 我是布朗 )
Ali：「Oh no, you are committing a mistake.」 ( 不是啊，你錯了 )
Brown：「Mistake?」( 有甚麼錯？ )
Ali：「Yes, you are not brown. We are brown. You are white.」( 是的，你不是棕色人種。我們 才是，你是白種人 ) ( 註：brown 是多義詞，既 可以是姓氏，也解作「棕色」、「棕色人種」) 第二集講述教育局派督學巡視學校，督學 是黑人，當天有一黑人新生報到，Brown 誤以 為督學就是該新生，於是在「新生」面前出現 了以下對話：
Brown ：「 It must be quite a change coming from one of the under-developed countries to our more advanced way of life.」( 從一個不發達的國 家來到我們更先進的生活方式，這轉變一定相 當大 )
督學：「Oh yes.」
Brown ：「 Still, your people are doing remarkably well. Did you fly here?」( 不過，你們 還是做得挺不錯。你是飛過來的？ )
Brown ：「 Fly, in a big iron bird. Quite a change from riding an elephant. Unless you came by Jumbo.」( 坐著大鐵鳥飛。跟騎象比起來很 不同。除非你坐珍寶機來 ) ( 註：Jumbo 是多義 詞，既指 1970 年投入服務的珍寶機，亦指大 象 )
除了揶揄不同種族外，中國極左思潮因為 Chung Su Lee 這個角色成了恒常被取笑對象。 其中一次與香港有關，主角又是 Ali Nadim。有 一次他當流動小販，拿着兩大喼貨物向班上同 學兜售。Chung Su Lee 與他有以下對話： Chung：「Have you any scarf?」( 有頸巾嗎 ) Ali ：「 Most definitely. For you, only one pound. Made in Hong Kong.」( 當然有，一英鎊 賣給你，香港造的 )
Chung ( 面色一變 )：「Hong Kong? I not buy from capitalist state where workers are exploited as cheap labour.」( 香港？我不會買資本主義國家 造的東西，那裡的工人被當作廉價勞工剝削 ) 有時 Chung Su Lee 所鬧的笑話頗令人苦 笑。第四集全班學生被反鎖在課室內，不能下 課，Brown 老師想盡方法讓大家的時間好過些， 建議每人講一個笑話。輪到 Chung，她說： 「In Democratic Republic of China, we have no time for decadent bourgeois humour.」( 在中 華民主共和國，我們沒時間搞甚麼頹廢的資產 階級幽默。)
A Glimpse Into the Daily Life and Work of Falun Gong’s Founder
By Connie Wu
For many years, Mr. Hongzhi Li, the founder of Falun Gong, has remained very low-key in the public eye. However, recently, The New York Times published biased and misleading reports about a series of companies founded by Falun Gong practitioners, such as Shen Yun Performing Arts and The Epoch Times, once again placing him in the spotlight.
Yet the picture they paint of Mr. Li is very fragmented, and what specific glimpses they do offer bear no resemblance to the spiritual leader I know and have worked with for almost 20 years. And I’m not alone, so I embarked on an effort to talk to others who, like me, have spent years working alongside Mr. Li so that we may offer some of our observations.
A Grand Vision Takes Shape in New York In 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a nationwide campaign of mass detention, violence, and vilification of Falun Gong—a persecution that has now lasted more than a quarter of a century. Countless Falun Gong practitioners in China have lost their jobs, property, freedom, or even their lives, with some subjected to forced organ harvesting. Many children have been left orphaned.
In 2001, to provide a safe place for Falun Gong practitioners who fled China, especially orphans, Falun Gong practitioners in North America built Dragon Springs in a remote mountain area more than 80 miles northwest of Manhattan. The grounds were developed largely by volunteers. Since its establishment, Dragon Springs has been registered as a religious temple. In the subsequent years, Fei Tian Academy of the Arts, Fei Tian College, and Shen Yun Performing Arts were established at Dragon Springs to revive China’s authentic culture that was almost destroyed by the CCP, to teach this culture to the next generation, and to share its treasures with the world. These institutions are all religious in nature and provide Falun Gong practitioners with a means to express and live by their faith. Furthermore, Shen Yun plays a key role in exposing the persecution of Falun Gong in China and pays tribute to the resilience of people there who peacefully stand up to tyranny. As a result, Dragon
Mr. Li is a four-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and was nominated by the European Parliament for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. He is also the recipient of Freedom House’s International Religious Freedom Award.
Mr. Li is the author of the book “Zhuan Falun,” which has been translated into 40 languages and is available for free at FalunDafa.org.
Springs became a place where Falun Gong practitioners lived, worked, studied, and practiced their faith.
A Simple Life of Spiritual Guidance
As the founder of Falun Gong and the artistic director of Shen Yun Performing Arts, Mr. Li guides the spiritual practice of Falun Gong practitioners worldwide (mostly through written teachings, published online) and provides the artistic vision for Shen Yun. However, Mr. Li holds no administrative position in any of the organizations or projects established by Falun Gong practitioners, nor does he run their daily operations.
And here is what’s most notable: Mr. Li has never received any compensation from these organizations. Even with Shen Yun, to which he has provided significant artistic guidance, Mr. Li has contributed
entirely on a voluntary basis.
When I first read the allegations in The New York Times about Mr. Li’s alleged lifestyle, I sought out George Xu, the president of Dragon Springs, who has worked alongside Mr. Li for many years.
Mr. Xu said that one need only look at how Mr. Li lives to know the truth. “Mr. Li lives in ... basically a dormitory. He has no property or car, and his daily life is very simple,” Mr. Xu explained. “Aside from a bookshelf, his living space is completely bare. It’s pretty basic.”
When I asked Mr. Xu about Mr. Li’s source of income, he smiled and shook his head. “He has never received a single penny from any Falun Gong project or organization. In fact, his only source of income is royalties from Falun Gong books or related intellectual property,” he said. “And keep in mind, all these books, videos, and things are also available for free on the internet, so ... Mr. Li is clearly not concerned with maximizing his income.”
When I asked Mr. Xu about some of Mr. Li’s daily habits, he started talking about the dining area on campus. “He has very simple food preferences, and originally, he would eat in the dining hall with everyone else,” Mr. Xu said. “However, as more and more people arrived, he began to just eat in his room to avoid disturbing others.”
“And honestly,” Mr. Xu added, “it’s not uncommon for him to skip some meals altogether because he’s just so busy.”
S Mr. Li, founder of the spiritual discipline Falun Gong, speaks at a conference in Los Angeles, in this file photo.
Always Working
Mr. Kaijin Liang, who has been working at Dragon Springs for almost 20 years and serves as one of its engineers, said it’s common to see Mr. Li doing manual labor around campus.
“The construction of Dragon Springs has been extremely difficult. On many days, Mr. Li worked alongside us from morning till night,” Mr. Liang said. “For over 20 years, even when Shen Yun was just getting started and needed Mr. Li’s guidance in artistic areas, whenever he had a little time, he would come to the construction site to help. Even now, at over 70 years old, he still helps with manual labor whenever he has time. Sometimes when I walk through the construction area at night, I see him picking up screws, cleaning work areas, [and so on].”
Mr. Liang smiled and added: “Frequently, Falun Gong practitioners will come to the construction area to ask him questions seeking spiritual guidance, and he’s like all covered in sawdust, his shirt sleeves rolled up, and sweating from the work. Yet he patiently stops and takes these questions.”
Reflecting on some of the assertions from the New York Times report about luxury items, Mr. Xu laughed. “I’ve never once seen him care about brand names. As long as the clothes fit, that’s all that seems to matter to him,” Mr. Xu said. “At first, he wore khaki pants. Later, he designed his own pants, and some practitioners helped make them, so they would fit better. In fact, he often wears the same uniforms and jackets given to all Shen Yun performers, so ... it’s kind of hard to spot him in a crowd on campus.”
Ms. Ying Li (no relation to Mr. Li), who manages logistics at Dragon Springs and has been volunteering at the site for many years, felt there was a lot of misunderstanding surrounding the respect offered Mr. Li on campus. “Falun Gong has brought many benefits to practitioners, and everyone is grateful to Mr. Li for introducing this practice and making it free to learn, worldwide,” Ms. Li said. “We deeply respect him and make that clear in
our interactions, but it seems some of these media reports try to distort that into zealous, blind reverence.”
“This is ridiculous,” Ms. Li added. “We are not blind, and if I may say so myself, we are quite grounded. The fact is, we have experienced firsthand the wonders Falun Gong has done for our health, our energy levels, our relationships with others, and of course, our spiritual well-being, so of course, we have great respect for the one who made all this possible, and that’s Mr. Li.”
Falun Gong has brought many benefits to practitioners, and everyone is grateful to Mr. Li for introducing this practice and making it free to learn, worldwide.
Ms. Ying Li, manager of logistics, Dragon Springs
However, Ms. Li does acknowledge that some people get a little too excited. “I mean, when something has changed your life to the extent that Falun Gong has done for so many, you invariably get a few folks who want to give Mr. Li gifts to express their gratitude, but here’s the thing: He has never accepted anything expensive,” she said. “Sometimes, when practitioners offer non-valuable items like tea or food, he will accept them to honor their intentions, but he usually gives them away to other practitioners or students soon afterward.”
A Balanced Environment
One thing that has struck me over the years is that, while Mr. Li maintains a rather austere lifestyle, the environment for the students, staff, and volunteers at Dragon Springs is well-balanced, and intentionally so.
Mr. Xu offered a few examples of this. “As
more Western people were coming to study or work at Dragon Springs, the management team hired a baker to provide Western-style food for them,” he said.
“In addition, the school has set up a gym, ping-pong tables, billiards, chess, and other facilities, encouraging students to exercise and engage in traditional forms of entertainment, rather than wasting endless hours on the internet.
“It’s all quite refreshing.”
Setting the Record Straight
Mr. William Shi, who has led the campus security team for more than a decade, is frustrated by the allegations in the media.
“Mr. Li focuses on the spiritual development of Falun Gong practitioners ... I mean, that’s his whole life,” Mr. Shi said. “All the management of daily operations is left for the Falun Gong practitioners to handle, and honestly ... what most people miss is that their success or failure in doing these things is part of their spiritual path. It’s their decision to make, their path to walk. Therefore, Mr. Li does not involve himself in the daily operations of [companies started by practitioners] like The Epoch Times, Ganjing World, or others. People who think otherwise either don’t understand the role of spiritual leaders in Eastern traditions or they are just misinformed.
“Take The Epoch Times, for example. Even though The Epoch Times has been around for over 20 years, Mr. Li has only visited a few times, and when he speaks, it is always to guide practitioners in their spiritual journey or in resisting the persecution.”
My final stop was at the office of Shen Yun’s management team to speak with Mr. Yu Zhou to get his thoughts.
Mr. Zhou thought for a while, staring out the window.
“When the CCP first began persecuting Falun Gong, they spread rumors that Mr. Li lived in luxury with mansions and cars. Now, some Western media repeat the same false narratives,” Mr. Zhou said. “As Falun Gong practitioners working alongside Mr. Li all these years, we have personally witnessed and felt the hardships he has endured and the selfless sacrifices he has made for all and for everyone who practices Falun Gong over the decades.
“Naturally, we wish for Mr. Li to live a better life. But in reality, he doesn’t care much about these things. In our eyes, he is indifferent to material desires and has remained so. He is nothing like the figure some media have made him out to be. What a shame they do this.”
Connie Wu is a videographer and documentarian who has worked at Shen Yun’s headquarters since 2006.
Mr. Li accepts proclamations issued in his honor by the Illinois governor, the Illinois state treasurer, and the mayor of Chicago, in 1999.
Mr. Li meets with Falun Gong practitioners in New York City, in this file photo.
Mr. Li teaches people the practice’s five meditative exercises in Chicago, in this file photo.
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Rights Group Alarmed by UBC’s Hosting of Hong Kong Government Recruitment Exam on Anti-Democratic Law
By Andrew Chen
A human rights group is protesting the University of British Columbia’s decision to host a recruitment exam for the Hong Kong government, which included a test on a controversial law used by Beijing to tighten control and suppress freedoms in the city.
On Dec. 7, staff of The Epoch Times Chinese edition found that a room at UBC’s Robson Square campus in downtown Vancouver had been rented to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office for the government recruitment exam, a portion of which was on Hong Kong’s national security law.
In a letter sent to UBC on Dec. 22, the Chinese Canadian Concern Group on the Chinese Communist Party’s Human Rights Violations voiced “serious objections” to the university’s decision, noting that the national security law is a “draconian tool of repression that has devastated human rights” in the city and “threatens global democracy.”
“Allowing such activities on Canadian soil poses a serious threat to Canada’s national security and values,” the organization said in the letter reviewed by The Epoch Times.
Hong Kong’s national security law criminalizes “secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign force.” The Canadian government has described the law’s “broad definitions” of crimes as means to “undermine rights and freedoms.” After the law’s passage in June 2020, Ottawa responded by offering immigration pathways for Hongkongers.
Kurt Heinrich, executive director of media relations for UBC, said the university’s decision to rent space to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office is in line with its space rental policy, which requires compliance with laws and regulations. He noted that, to the university’s knowledge, the event held on Dec. 7 did not violate any laws, regulations, or UBC policies, adding that those concerned about the event
A notice for a government recruitment exam and a test on Hong Kong’s Basic Law and national security law is seen at the University of British Columbia's Robson Square campus in downtown Vancouver on Dec. 7, 2024. A human rights group has criticized the university for renting space to the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office for the test, as the national security law has been used by Beijing to erode freedoms in Hong Kong.
should contact the Hong Kong office.
“It is important to note that UBC does not endorse the activities, views, or positions of external groups renting its spaces. The university’s role in such situations is limited to the administration of space rentals and ensuring compliance with established policies,” he said in a Dec. 27 statement emailed to The Epoch Times.
The Chinese Canadian Concern Group had been invited to provide testimony to the Foreign Interference Commission, which is investigating Beijing’s meddling in Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections. In a Nov. 4 submission to the commission, the group warned that the Chinese communist regime “closely monitors and attempts to exercise control over diaspora communities” by infiltrating local community groups, private businesses, and academic institutions.
Suppression of Freedom
The passage of the Hong Kong national security law followed months of pro-democracy protests against Beijing’s growing control over the city. Hong Kong, a former British colony, was promised a high degree of autonomy and civil liberties for 50 years when it was handed back to China in 1997.
Hong Kong authorities have used the national security law to shut down several pro-democracy news outlets. This includes the June 2021 closure of Apple
Daily and the December 2021 shutdown of Stand News, both critical of Beijing. Many activists, journalists, and political figures have been arrested and charged under the law’s broad provisions regarding subversion, secession, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces.
The law has also been used by Hong Kong authorities to issue arrest warrants and bounties for pro-democracy activists who have fled abroad, including to Canada.
On Dec. 24, Hong Kong authorities issued arrest warrants for six activists and offered a reward of HK$1 million (roughly C$185,000) for any information that could lead to their capture. Among them were two Canadians: Victor Ho, a veteran journalist, and Joseph Tay, founder of the advocacy platform HongKonger Station and current Conservative Party candidate for the Ontario riding of Markham-Unionville.
In July 2023, Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants and bounties under the national security law for eight other democracy activists who had fled Hong Kong. Among them was Dennis Kwok, a former Hong Kong politician born in Canada. In their latest move on Dec. 24, Hong Kong authorities ordered the cancellation of passports for seven “absconders,” including Kwok.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in a Dec. 24 statement that Canada “deplores” the decision by Hong Kong authorities to issue international bounties and revoke the passports of democracy activists and former Hong Kong lawmakers.
“This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct transnational repression abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated,” she said.
Andrew Chen is a news reporter with the Canadian edition of The Epoch Times.
British Group Calls for Sanctions as Hong Kong Adds 6
Pro-Democracy Activists
By Ben Lam
British non-governmental organization Hong Kong Watch, which has been closely following the human rights situation in Hong Kong, has called on the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia to implement targeted sanctions as a strong response to the Hong Kong government’s expanding transnational suppression.
The Hong Kong Police Force’s National Security Department—established in 2020 in accordance with communist China’s Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) despite millions of Hong Kongers taking to the streets in protest— announced on Dec. 24 that it is offering a reward of HK$1 million ($130,000) for each arrest of six Hong Kong pro-democracy activists who left the city for overseas amid political persecution by Beijing. The department also revoked the passports, professional qualifications, and certain financial rights of seven “absconders for crimes endangering national security.”
The activists are the six Hong Kong nationals Chung Kim-wah, Tony Chung Han-lam, Carmen Lau Ka-man, Victor Ho Leung-mau, Joe Tay King-kei, and Chloe Cheung Hei-ching. The seven absconders include Hong Kong nationals Ted Hui Chi-fung, Anna Kwok Fung-yee, Elmer Yuan Gong-yi, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang, Kevin Yam Kin-fung, Frances Hui Wing-ting, and Joey Siu Lam.
The six join 13 other Hong Kongers overseas who were named on the authority’s wanted list last year.
Call for Sanctions
“Hong Kong Watch” issued a statement on the Hong Kong government’s actions on Dec. 25.
Chris Patten, its sponsor and a former Hong Kong governor, said that the Hong Kong government’s brutal suppression of pro-democracy activists who are overseas is a blatant act of overreach and disregard for international standards.
He said that the NSL and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, commonly known as Article 23, have no legal authority outside Hong Kong and should never be recognized by democratic countries that are regarded as safe havens.
Patten also said that the governments of the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and Australia must take decisive and concerted action to protect these social activists from the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) transnational repression, ensure their safety, and strongly resist Beijing’s attempts to undermine the cherished democratic values of the free world.
Megan Khoo, policy director at “Hong Kong Watch,” said she strongly condemns the Hong
to Wanted List
Kong government’s actions of issuing bounties and canceling passports of political dissidents. She believes that these actions are clearly transnational repression aimed at extending the scope of the CCP’s totalitarian control from Hong Kong to overseas.
Khoo also called on the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia to firmly respond by imposing targeted sanctions on relevant Hong Kong officials, strengthen measures to combat the CCP’s transnational suppression, and take collective action to protect the rights and interests of Hongkongers in exile.
‘A Trivial Trick of Tyranny’
Ted Hui Chi-fung, a former member of the Legislative Council, participated in the primary election of Hong Kong’s pan-democratic party in August 2020. He later jumped bail, went into exile, and was granted political asylum in Australia where he has become a practicing lawyer. He said on Facebook on Dec. 24 that the Hong Kong government’s action was fully expected.
Hui criticized that “this trivial trick of tyranny” has not affected his life in a free country. He said that the Hong Kong government’s move is “stupid” because it will provide democratic countries with more reasons to grant political asylum or refugee status to Hongkongers in need.
Kevin Yam Kin-fung, who left Hong Kong in 2020 and holds dual Hong Kong residency and Australian citizenship, responded on Facebook that because he has never applied for a Hong Kong SAR passport, he does not know how the Hong Kong government can revoke or suspend it.
“What’s the logic?” he wrote.
He also said his Hong Kong Solicitor’s Practicing Certificate has not been renewed for quite some time.
Tony Chung Han-lam, who was sentenced by the Hong Kong authorities in 2021 after being accused of secession and money laundering, went to the United Kingdom to seek asylum
after his release from prison in 2023. He said on his social media platform that as a “staunch Hong Kong nationalist,” being added to the government’s wanted list is “undoubtedly an affirmation.”
He said he would continue in the future to promote the self-determination of Hong Kong’s residents.
Abuses Undermine Credibility of Judicial System
The Hong Kong-based Hong Kong Centre for Human Rights (HKCHR) condemned the authorities for treating freedom of expression and peaceful political advocacy as crimes, saying they were using national security as an excuse to suppress pro-democracy dissidents, violating human rights guaranteed by the UN’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
It noted that peace initiatives and political opinions are protected under the UN Covenant. Even if the opinions are not accepted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Hong Kong government, they do not constitute a national security threat, the group said.
The HKCHR is also concerned that the authorities have revoked the professional qualifications of lawyers Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and Kevin Yam Kin-fung. It said this action undermines the professional autonomy of lawyers and their independent regulatory agencies, and threatens the rule of law. The way the Hong Kong government uses national security laws not only undermines the credibility of the legal system but shows that judicial independence and the professional autonomy of lawyers are under political threat, the group said.
It also pointed out that Article 47 of the national security law and Section 115 of Article 23 give the city’s chief executive the power to intervene in judicial proceedings, including issuing binding certificates and appointing select judges to hear national security cases. These measures, together with practices such as eliminating juries and trials behind closed doors, further weaken judicial independence, allowing administrative agencies to influence judicial decisions, putting the foundation of the rule of law in jeopardy, it said.
The HKCHR reiterated that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, multiple human rights convention committees, and multiple human rights special rapporteurs have repeatedly said the CCP’s national security law violates human rights, demanding its withdrawal and the suspension of related prosecutions. They have called on the Hong Kong government to accept those recommendations and take immediate remedial action.
British non-governmental organization Hong Kong Watch released a report on Hong Kong's press freedom in the United Kingdom Parliament in a file photo.
