Falun Gong, the lesser know discipline in China, is being persecuted for 23 years in the country as the Chinese Communist Party considered the practice a “posing serious threat” to the rule of Xi Jinping, a media report stated.
The so-called “five poisons” acknowledged by the Xi Jinping government include Tibetans, Uyghur Muslims, democracy activists, pro-independence Taiwanese and Falun Gong practitioners, reported a Canada-based think tank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS).
It is to be noted that the violations of human rights of the Uyghur Muslims and Tibetans are known and criticized globally, while Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is less known. The practitioners are witnessing brutality and suppression by the Chinese government.
China banned the spiritual discipline Falun Gong in 1999 calling it an “evil cult,” which damaged Chinese society and culture, IFFRAS reported. Falun Gong is basically a spiritual discipline followed by a group of meditators who practice a prescribed set of exercises for a healthy body and mind.
After getting banned, Falun Gong is facing inhuman treatment in China. Since the “qigong boom” of the early 1990s, the number of followers swelled. The practice initially enjoyed support from CCP officials, but by the mid-to-late 1990s, the government increasingly viewed Falun Gong as a potential threat due to its size, independence, and spiritual teachings.
By 1999, the Chinese government estimates placed the number of Falun Gong practitioners at 70 million, IFFRAS reported.