Charge of Murder: Another Propaganda Ploy Against Falun Gong

NEW YORK, August 22, 2001 (Falun Dafa Information Center) – In Guangxi province, a man was sentenced to death for axe-murdering another. This story, a gruesome one and certainly sad for the families of those involved, would normally fail to make international headlines—unless China’s state-controlled news agency could pin the death on Falun Gong.

Xinhua has done just that, its latest move in the escalating campaign to tarnish and incite hatred against non-violent Falun Gong practitioners. In an August 4 Washington Post article, Beijing states that the “high-pressure propaganda campaign against the group” is one of three main tactics to eradicate Falun Gong. Beijing claims to be turning the hearts and minds of the Chinese against Falun Gong, yet sensationalistic claims like this incident reveal desperation.

Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have stepped forward for their beliefs for two years without violence or retaliation, even when tortured and beaten. Killing in any form, including suicide, is against the teachings of Falun Gong. “For practitioners, we have set the strict requirement that they cannot kill lives,” says founder Li Hongzhi in Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Gong.

Against a long record of non-violence and explicit teachings against killing, an unverified murder incident is brought out. If the incident actually happened—not a given—is the perpetrator actually a Falun Gong practitioner?

Xinhua has its own record, one of obfuscation and fabrication. They deny that state-sponsored killing took place during the Cultural Revolution. They spread the story that the schoolhouse explosion earlier this year was the work of a mad bomber, and not the result of an illicit firecracker factory being operated for profit, as later admitted.

We call for independent news organizations to be granted access to fully investigate the Guangxi axe-murder incident. Without independent investigation, these claims cannot be believed.