The U.S. State Department has made it clear that it “will not hesitate” to take appropriate actions against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for its ongoing persecution of Falun Gong — an ancient spiritual discipline rooted in the principles of truth, compassion, and forbearance.
The statement, which was made by Principal Deputy Vedant Patel on July 18, comes just days ahead of the 25th anniversary of the crackdown in China.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, emerged publicly in China in 1992 under the guidance of Master Li Hongzhi. By the late 1990s, the practice had gained a significant following — with official estimates indicating that between 70 to 100 million people (including high-ranking Party members) were practicing it.
But the practice’s rapid growth did not sit well with the CCP. In 1999, then-Party leader Jiang Zemin launched a brutal campaign to “eradicate” the practice from China by employing all kinds of heinous torture and surveillance methods, including illegal arrests, forced labor, and torture. The persecution campaign, which began officially on July 20, 1999, marked a dark period that continues to this day.
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On June 10, 1999, a month before the crackdown, Jiang ordered the creation of the 610 Office — an “extra-legal police force” dedicated to eliminating Falun Gong from every corner of the country. By July 20, thousands of practitioners were arrested in a coordinated midnight raid, initiating a relentless campaign of repression that continues unabated.
‘Crackdown on basic human rights’
Vedant Patel, the State Department’s Principal Deputy spokesperson, underscored the department’s vigilance regarding China’s human rights’ track record. While he did not mention specific measures, Patel emphasized the department’s commitment in addressing these issues with Chinese officials. He also called out Beijing by its official name of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) during the speech.
“We have seen the PRC take a number of steps over the past many years that we view as a crackdown on basic human rights,” said Patel. “It is something that we will continue to raise with PRC officials directly.”
While Washington has taken more concrete steps to address the persecution, more needs to be done, advocates say. “Such actions are welcome, but more must be done to incentivize Chinese officials at all levels to refrain from engaging in human rights violations targeting Falun Gong practitioners in China and the United States,” a letter from Friends of Falun Gong states.
Friends of Falun Gong, a nonprofit organization established in 2000, has called for increased action from the Biden administration in holding the CCP accountable. On July 18, the group sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging him to consider issuing new sanctions against those involved in the persecution. The letter, which was signed by 16 human rights advocates, condemns the persecution and requests more concrete action from U.S. officials.
In 2021 and 2022, sanctions were imposed on two CCP officials for their roles in human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners. In addition, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has arrested and charged 13 CCP agents for their participation in various covert operations conducted on U.S. soil.
These operations, which the DOJ deems as “transnational repression,” include harassment, surveillance, and intimidation of Falun Gong practitioners and other dissidents living in the U.S. The DOJ’s actions highlight the CCP’s efforts to extend its persecution beyond China’s borders by targeting individuals who seek refuge and freedom abroad.
MORE ON THIS: China’s ‘Global Police State’: New Report Unravels the CCP’s Transnational Repression and Its Impact on US National Security
Forced organ harvesting
Another heinous aspect of the persecution is the CCP’s alleged practice of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience, including Falun Gong practitioners, Tibetans, and Uyghur Muslims. In June, the State Department released a report on human trafficking, highlighting these grave accusations. The report labeled China and the CCP as a nation with a “policy or pattern” of human trafficking and called the forced organ harvesting “depraved” and “a blatant abuse of human rights.”
The State Department has also urged the CCP to “allow independent observers” to investigate the country’s organ transplantation system in order to verify these reports. The report cites a 2021 joint statement from U.N. human rights experts, which details the targeting of specific ethnic, linguistic, or religious minorities for organ harvesting.
In 2019, the London-based China Tribunal recognized forced organ harvesting as a crime against humanity, and numerous academics and researchers have denounced it as a form of genocide.
Legislative efforts
In response to these human rights atrocities, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the bipartisan “Falun Gong Protection Act” (H.R. 4132) in a unanimous vote. Introduced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), the bill seeks to impose sanctions and other penalties on the CCP to end the practice of live organ harvesting. It also prohibits U.S. cooperation with China in the organ transplantation field as long as the CCP remains in power.
MORE ON THIS: Landmark ‘Falun Gong Protection Act’ Clears House With Unanimous Approval
The bill, which now awaits approval in the Senate, is the first federal law of its kind aimed at combating the long list of abuses inflicted on millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China. “The significance of the bill says that the U.S. House of Representatives now recognizes that Falun Gong practitioners are being persecuted by the CCP in the worst way possible.” Rep. Perry told Vision Times in an exclusive interview.
“We need to acknowledge that this is happening so that we can do something to stop it,” said Perry, adding, “Falun Gong practitioners are not only subjected to torture and murder, they’re literally [having their organs] stolen from them and then sold in the open market.”
Nina Shea, Director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, further highlighted the disturbing involvement of American institutions in training Chinese transplant doctors. “Given the grave questions about organ sourcing raised in these reports and China’s lack of transparency, it is unconscionable that major American universities and hospitals support China’s transplant sector,” said Shea, as she emphasized the urgent need for more stringent measures within the organ transplant sector.
Evidence also suggests that some of the victims were still conscious at the time their organs were ripped out, indicating that Chinese doctors may have used organ harvesting as a method of execution.
In addition to the “Falun Gong Protection Act,” at least three other U.S. states, including Idaho, Utah, and Texas, have enacted laws banning health insurers from funding organ transplant surgeries performed in China. If the bill passes the Senate, it will proceed to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
