Lawyers representing Falun Gong on Sunday said the government’s move to bar former Chinese State Administration for Religious Affairs director Ye Xiaowen (葉小文) from visiting Taiwan was a “reasonable” and “humane” decision.
Ye was to be part of a 38-member official Chinese delegation to yesterday’s memorial service for Buddhist master Hsing Yun (星雲法師), founder of the Kaohsiung-based Fo Guang Shan organization, who died on Feb. 5.
The delegation was denied entry over improper application procedures, as well as concern that Ye’s presence would be disruptive, the Mainland Affairs Council said.
Photo: CNA
Twenty-seven people from China and 64 from Hong Kong and Macau arrived for the service, the council said, adding that no Chinese officials attended.
Ye served as China’s head of religious affairs from 1995 to 2009, when he oversaw crackdowns on unsanctioned religious groups, including Falun Gong.
In 2018, the agency was folded into the United Front Work Department.
Since former Chinese president Jiang Zemin (江澤民) in July 1999 ordered the eradication of Falun Gong, Ye has sought to bring “reputational, economic and physical destruction” to practitioners of the spiritual movement, the Falun Gong Human Rights attorney group said in a statement.
The “human rights villain” should apologize and offer condolences to the thousands of religious practitioners and their family members he has persecuted, it said.
Denying entry to the man who has committed “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” is entirely legal and reasonable for democratic Taiwan, the group said.
It follows a resolution passed by the legislature in 2010 to bar entry to Chinese government officials who violate human rights, it added.
The group said it is happy to see the government demonstrating to the international community that the value of democracy and rule of law in Taiwan would not be challenged by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Freedom of religion is a universal right that should be supported by Taiwanese regardless of political or religious affiliation, it said.
However, some politicians are ignoring CCP “thugs” persecuting their “Chinese compatriots,” as well as rising international opposition to authoritarianism, it said.
These figures instead speak up for the CCP “thugs” and aid their unification aims, it said, adding that Taiwanese would be contemptuous of such actions.
The group called on Chinese authorities to cease their persecution of Falun Gong and release detained practitioners.
Those who perpetrate religious persecution would face the judgement of history, and are running out of time to make amends, it added.
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