China's Policies Toward Spiritual Movements
Dr. James Tong, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of California, Los Angeles
Mr. Ethan Gutmann, Adjunct Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Mr. Mark Shan, Program in Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics, Boston University
Ms. Sarah Cook, Asia Research Analyst, Freedom House
Submitted for the Record:
Ms. Caylan Ford
Transcript (PDF) (Text)
At this CECC Roundtable, panelists examined the Chinese government's policies toward spiritual movements and the factors that drive its treatment of members of spiritual groups. The Chinese government has allowed space for some spiritual movements to operate in China, but has banned other groups, such as Falun Gong. Authorities have subjected members of Falun Gong and other banned groups to strict surveillance, and in some cases, imprisonment, detention outside the legal system, and other abuses. Why does the Chinese government consider some spiritual movements a threat? What challenges and prospects do Falun Gong practitioners face in China that adherents of other groups do not? What does the Chinese government's treatment of spiritual movements mean for the future of religious freedom in China?