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News & ArtsWednesday, February 8, 2012
Theater / International Chinese Government Asks City Council Members to Avoid "Heretical" Theater Performance
Posted by Brendan Kiley on Wed, Feb 8, 2012 at 6:26 PM
From today's mailbag:
Everyone's a critic!
1
Had to look up Falun Gong to understand what the big deal is. From their Wikipedia page:
Although the practice initially enjoyed considerable support from Chinese officialdom, by the mid- to late-1990s, the Communist Party and public security organs increasingly viewed Falun Gong as a potential threat due to its size, independence from the state, and spiritual teachings ... In October 1999 it declared Falun Gong a "heretical organization" and began banning Internet access to websites that mention Falun Gong. Human rights groups report that Falun Gong practitioners in China are subject to a wide range of human rights abuses; hundreds of thousands are believed to have been imprisoned extrajudicially, and practitioners in detention are subject to forced labor, psychiatric abuse, severe torture, and other coercive methods of thought reform at the hands of Chinese authorities. In the years since the suppression campaign began, Falun Gong adherents have emerged as a prominent voice in the Chinese dissident community, advocating for greater human rights and an end to Communist Party rule.
Although the practice initially enjoyed considerable support from Chinese officialdom, by the mid- to late-1990s, the Communist Party and public security organs increasingly viewed Falun Gong as a potential threat due to its size, independence from the state, and spiritual teachings ... In October 1999 it declared Falun Gong a "heretical organization" and began banning Internet access to websites that mention Falun Gong. Human rights groups report that Falun Gong practitioners in China are subject to a wide range of human rights abuses; hundreds of thousands are believed to have been imprisoned extrajudicially, and practitioners in detention are subject to forced labor, psychiatric abuse, severe torture, and other coercive methods of thought reform at the hands of Chinese authorities. In the years since the suppression campaign began, Falun Gong adherents have emerged as a prominent voice in the Chinese dissident community, advocating for greater human rights and an end to Communist Party rule.
2
I'd love to read the letter they've written to the donors at Intiman.
Dear Foolish Americans,
Since several of you are willing to waste 100,000 at a pop to give to a theater that owes hundreds of thousands of dollars to existing business owners and taxpayers, we were wondering if you had any interest in presenting a new show by the Chinese government....
Dear Foolish Americans,
Since several of you are willing to waste 100,000 at a pop to give to a theater that owes hundreds of thousands of dollars to existing business owners and taxpayers, we were wondering if you had any interest in presenting a new show by the Chinese government....
5
What the F? Is this real?
Does the Chinese government not understand the total and complete lack of sympathy the Seattle city council would have for their mission of censorship?
Does the Chinese government not understand the total and complete lack of sympathy the Seattle city council would have for their mission of censorship?
6
@5 that is why the letter politely starts out with a reminder of what the Chinese government might take away from Seattle if relations were not so very sunny.
8
@5 & @6
Also, the letter doesn't ask for censorship--in some ways surprising, but I guess it means the diplomat knows his shit--it's basically asking either individual members or the local government as a whole to shun FLG and the performance (which until this post I did not realize was affiliated with FLG).
Also, the letter doesn't ask for censorship--in some ways surprising, but I guess it means the diplomat knows his shit--it's basically asking either individual members or the local government as a whole to shun FLG and the performance (which until this post I did not realize was affiliated with FLG).
9
Well, he's right about most of the practices of Falun Gong, it doesn't excuse the horrible persecution committed by the Chinese government.
10
I'd say there's nothing particularly anti-science about qigong and FLG seems rather benign. The government simply doesn't like the fact that this is not under control of the Party.
12
Hmmm...an evil cult that preaches heretical fallacies and exercises exteme mental manipulation on followers, anti-science...I wonder if we could start sending out these notes about international Scientology or Mormon missionaries?
14
We have the same problem here. It's called the Catholic Church. It is better to trust the judgement of your people. We simply cannot block people's artistic expression according to law.
15
@14 They're really not analogous at all. AFAIK there is no required submission to an authority in Falun Gong. Also, I'd argue (as a broad generalization!) sectarian identification is not the same between the US and Asia. The amount of syncretism in the West vs. Asia is day and night.
18
It's interesting that nobody has anything to say about the relationship between FLG and Shen Yun. Since Shen Yun really, really sucks (a Vegas-like knock-off of actual traditional Chinese dance), one wonders if FLG is the reason.
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