Social Stability - 83. page

The United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Ministry of Public Security of the Liaoning Provincial Government, issued a secret document directing the local governments to crack down on foreign-related Christian churches and demonize religious groups in order to legalize the CCP’s suppression.

The document, titled, “Work Plan for Investigating and Handling Foreign Christian Penetration in Accordance with the Law,” is a special action for local governments to implement. The main task of the special action is to require government agencies to “resolutely crack down on foreign religious believers, resolutely destroy the religious activities of foreign religious groups in the local area, and resolutely prevent organizations from attending training in neighboring countries and regions.” It also directs the tightening of restrictions on the use of foreign Internet websites to conduct online missionary work.

In addition to targeting the “Jehovah Witnesses” and several Korean Christian churches that have been suppressed before, the CCP’s secret document also named the Young Disciples of Jesus, Cru, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Bo Ai Church, the Ai Xin Church, the Canaan Christian Church, and a number of others.

In order to achieve the goal, the document recommends that the local governments first send out undercover agents to conduct detailed investigations on these religious groups, such as the scope of their activities, the status of get-togethers, personnel composition, background, funds, and the scale of their activities. The document recommends surveillance of relevant WeChat and QQ groups; in addition to recording all the believers’ information; establishing a “Resistance to the Overseas Christian Penetration Work Database,” as well as the use the big data analysis to keep abreast of church activities.

In terms of crackdowns, the document calls for the shutdown of church meeting places, training centers, and seminaries; the taking of a number of measures to combat the believers’ beliefs, such as criminal prosecution, education transformation, pressure on their work units and relatives, and cutting off welfare protection; “investigating and handling some, registering some, controlling some, and transforming some.” The document holds local CCP committees and governments responsible for the education transformation so as to eliminate completely any possibility of restoring religious activities.

Moreover, before each crackdown action, local authorities are required to demonize religious groups and guide public opinion to legalize the CCP’s suppression of them.

The document also requires that government propaganda departments should produce critical articles and videos to incite the masses. Internet censorship departments should control “harmful and sensational public opinion. Education departments need to strengthen the management of teachers and students with religious backgrounds. The document also requires that the crackdown work should not be conducted during the time when there are major domestic political activities or important sensitive anniversaries.

The document requires confidentiality. It is strictly forbidden to release crackdown documents on the Internet or notify personnel of their crackdown assignments through WeChat and other social media channels.

Source: Bitter Winter, May 27, 2019
遼寧機密文件內容曝光　全國性打擊涉外教會行動已開始

A Radio France International article commented on the national public security (police) conference that was held in Beijing on May 7th and 8th. “This was actually a very rare meeting. Not only was it the first time that Xi Jinping, as the head of Chinese Communist Party (CCP). called for such as meeting, but it was also the first time in 16 years for senior CCP officials to hold such a meeting. The timing was the moment when the Sino – US (trade) negotiations were on the brink of breaking down.”

“At the beginning of the year at a study session of the first secretaries of the provincial CCP committees, Xi Jinping delivered a speech on the prevention of major risks. He used the ‘black swan’ and ‘gray rhinoceros’ as a metaphor to warn of unforeseen events that may occur in China. Later, in his interpretation of Xi Jinping’s speech, Wang Huning, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, issued serious warnings about preventing the worse-case scenario.”

“The public security (police) organs have always been the most powerful dictatorship tools for the CCP on the issue of how to prevent major risks. This may be an important consideration for Xi Jinping to have convened the 21st National Public Security Work Conference in China, especially at the critical juncture of Sino-US trade negotiations. Either a successful or an unsuccessful negotiation could trigger unexpected incidents.”

“Why did Xi Jinping choose to hold a public security conference at this point in time? In addition to the Sino-US trade war, some analysts believe it may have something to do with many ‘risky’ anniversaries this year. In the Internet era, a situation could occur unexpectedly and news could spread rapidly. Being is in a state of high nervousness; the authorities may be concerned about danger developing after even the slightest incident.”

Source: Radio France International, May 10, 2019
http://rfi.my/40×8.T

China News recently reported that China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment just released its 2018-2019 Fall and Winter Air Quality Improvement Report. The report indicated that, on a year-over-year basis, 28 cities in Northern China saw a PM2.5 pollution increase rather than a decrease after intensive air pollution control and remediation activities. These cities include Beijing and many cities near Beijing. The Report explained that, in addition to certain natural causes, it has been harder to apply environmental protection controls and, over time, the cities have again become undisciplined. The Report is part of the assessment process of the Three-Year Combat Plan for Protecting the Blue Sky. The initiative was designed to improve air quality in multiple major regions. While the Eastern region achieved an 8.3 percent improvement, the Northern regions suffered a 6.5 percent decline in quality. Statistics on both the average pollution level and the number of heavy pollution days showed the situation deteriorated. Local governments’ relaxed administrative and monitoring strength was identified as the key issue.

Source: China News, May 1, 2019
http://chinanews.sina.com/gb/chnmedia/sinacn/2019-05-01/doc-ifzhxuxa7524553.shtml

Radio France Internationale reported that Beijing launched a severe crackdown on its veterans for initiating a rights petition. Recently local courts sentenced 18 veterans who participated in the protests in Zhenjiang (Jiangsu province) and Pingdu (Shandong province) last year to two to six years in prison for “disturbing the social order,” “intentional assault,” or “the crime of preventing officials from performing their duties.” In the year that marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, the 30th anniversary of the June 4th incident, and the 100th anniversary of the May 4th Movement, the heavy sentences show that Beijing is taking a hard stance against the veterans’ rights petition.

Chinese veterans have been asking the authorities to resolve the issue of unfair benefits after their retirement. In recent years, veterans used social media to launch joint petitions to protest their rights and the scale has been growing. In October 2016, nearly 10,000 veterans from more than 10 provinces and cities came to Beijing to petition. They gathered outside the building of the Central Military Commission. The news had a great impact throughout the country.

On June 20 last year, a group of veterans in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, protested their rights in front of the city government. After the city government sent unidentified personnel to beat them, veterans from all over China came to Zhenjiang to show their support. On June 23, the authorities dispatched nearly 10,000 armed police to disperse the protesting veterans who gathered in front of the city government and managed to intercept veterans who were on their way to Zhenjiang.

On October 4 last year, dozens of veterans from Shandong Pingdu were preparing to go to Beijing to petition. After many of them were intercepted from going to Beijing, more veterans from all over Shandong came to show their support. On the 6th, thousands of veterans went to the Pingdu Municipal Government to protest. The veterans used wooden sticks to fight back against the police who used tear gas to forcibly disperse the crowd.

In 2018, in response to the increasingly large-scale veteran protests, the Chinese authorities formed the Department of Veteran Affairs to “transfer and resettle military cadres and retired soldiers, to provide education and training for retired military personnel, and to resolve the dissatisfaction among the military personnel.”

Source: Radio France Internationale, April 19, 2019
http://cn.rfi.fr/20190419-%E5%8C%97%E4%BA%AC%E7%A7%8B%E5%90%8E%E7%AE%97%E8%B4%A6%E9%87%8D%E5%88%A4%E8%80%81%E5%85%B5/

On the afternoon of April 16th, the Sina Weibo Community Management official microblog released an announcement on the recent investigation into the harmful information and accounts in Weibo. The announcement stated that from March 28, 2019, until April 10, 2019, according to the requirements of relevant laws and regulations, Sina Weibo banned and closed a number of accounts that had disseminated harmful information. The accounts closed included that of Actor Zhao Lixing, who has 7 million followers.

The announcement also reminded Weibo users that the language and discussion they use should comply with the requirements of relevant laws, regulations, and community rules. Users including self-media accounts should abide by the “Internet Information Service Management Regulations” and “must not create, copy, publish, or disseminate information content prohibited by law or administrative regulations.”

The announcement also posted a list of definitions of harmful information in current affairs. These include:
1. Opposing the basic principles established by the Constitution;
2. Endangering national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity;
3. Leaking state secrets, endangering national security or jeopardizing national honors and interests;
4. Inciting national hatred, ethnic discrimination, undermining national unity, or infringing on national customs;
5. Destroying the national religious policy and promoting cults and superstitions;
6. Spreading rumors, disrupting the social order and undermining social stability;
7. Distorting, vilifying, defaming, or negating heroic deeds and spirit; insulting and defaming heroic martyrs;
8. Promoting gambling, violence, murder, terror or instigating crimes;
9. Inciting illegal gatherings, associations, demonstrations, or public gatherings to disturb social order;
10. Spreading negative information that goes beyond the bottom line of social morality and the system;
11. Publishing other content prohibited by law, administrative regulations and national regulations.

Source: Wenxuecity, April 16, 2019
https://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2019/04/16/8236764.html

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that U.S.-based Shen Yun Performing Arts 2019 global tour has been enjoying sold-out shows around the world in over 150 cities such as New York, Mexico City, Berlin and Toronto. Calling Shen Yun a miracle is not an exaggeration. The Show brought its popularity to people in all walks of life with different religious backgrounds and different political views. It is quietly changing the world. What’s truly unique about the company is that the performers have tried to influence other people by improving themselves. Three-time Emmy Award Winner Rita Cosby described them as having very strong power by simply demonstrating inner peace. The Show has been recognized as waking up the traditional values in people’s souls. Values like freedom, compassion and kindness are very meaningful for today’s world.

Source: LTN, April 10, 2019
https://market.ltn.com.tw/article/5875