Editor’s Note: The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued its 2003 annual report on May 13, uttering irresponsible criticisms, of religious affairs of many countries, including China, and listed China among the “countries of particular concerns.” This has aroused strong protests from Chinese religious leaders. On May 22, the China Society for Human Rights Studies and the China Religious Research Center held a forum in Beijing. The participating religious leaders and human rights experts gave the lie to the US report. Published below are the excerpts of the speeches by some religious leaders and human rights experts:


Prof. Dong Yunhu (Vice-Presidentand Secretary General of the China Society for Human Rights Studies):

The USCIRF issued its 2003 annual report on May 13. Based on hearsay and subjective speculations, the report listed China among what it called the "countries of particular concerns", wantonly distorted China's freedom of religious beliefs and attacked the Chinese government as "a particularly severe violator of religious freedom", trying to create confusion among the international community and defaming China. This is nothing but another revelation of the schemes by some US forces antagonistic to China to use human rights and religious issues as an excuse to attack China.

The "report" alleged that "official respect for religious freedom in China has diminished". This is a total violation of facts. In China, citizens are well protected in their freedom of religious beliefs. China's Constitution provides: "Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief. No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion. The state protects normal religious activities." Since the country introduced the reform and opening-up policy, China has been enjoying political stability, rapid economic development, social progress and national unity. The religious is the golden time for the human right conditions as well as the development of religions in China. This is an objective fact that no unbiased person can deny. The "report" turned a blind eye to the objective facts and purposefully vilified China. It is obviously out of ulterior motives.

The "report" passed off China's crackdown on crimes as "religious freedom violations," shockingly accusing the Chinese government of "continuing to discriminate against individuals on the basis of their religion or belief and "severely and systematically violating freedom of religion and belief, and that "persons continue to be confined, tortured, imprisoned and subject to other forms of ill treatment on account of their religion or belief." China is a country ruled by law and follows the principles of "presumption of innocence" and "crime and punishment are fixed by law", "punishment fits the crime" and "everyone is equal before the law." By the Chinese law, any person who has only "thought or belief but no act of violating the law commits no crime. No one is detained or receives criminal punishments only because they have religious beliefs or engage in normal religious activities. Never have there been any "prisoners of conscience" as the report claimed. Some cases cited in the "report' are pure criminal cases because those people have engaged in criminal activities and there is nothing to do with their religious beliefs. Chinese citizens are equal before the law and there is no discrimination on account of religious beliefs. Citizens, believing in religion or not, enjoy the same rights and obligations. But, any one, religious believers or not, irrespective of what religious banners they uphold, are subject to criminal punishments if they engage in law-violating criminal activities. This is true with any country ruled by law. It is sheer absurdity for the report to accuse China of "violating religious freedom" because it cracks down on crimes according to law. By the logic of the "report", the United States must be a country that has most seriously violated religious freedom, because the US prisons hold the world's largest number of more than two million people, including many religious believers.

As is known to all, there are no obligations without rights; nor are there rights without obligations in the world. The Chinese laws provide that while enjoying the freedom and rights of religious belief, citizens must perform their obligations according to law. "No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state." This is entirely identical with the provisions of UN human rights documents on religious freedom. The International Convention on Civil and Political Rights in its Article 18 says that "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion", but "freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others." It is, therefore, groundless and unjust for the "report" to pass off as "violating freedom of religious belief the limitations imposed by the Chinese government on religious activities for the sake of protecting public safety, order, or health.

The "report" revealed the double standards upheld by the United States with regard to human rights. "Evil cult" is a public hazard common in many countries in the world. It is exactly in the interests of protecting the freedom of religious belief and the normal religious activities that China has been trying to eliminate by law the evil cult of "Falun Gong". This is also the common task and practice of all countries in the world. It is true with the US government, which did not hesitate to use tanks and tear gas in cracking down on the cult Branch Davidians in February 1993, causing more than 80 deaths in the fire and by bullets. After the incident, from among the many unidentifiable corpses were found at least two pregnant women and 22 children with the youngest being only nine months old. Twenty-seven of these people, including four children, were found killed by bullets. On the corpse of a child were found 4.5 kg bullets and fragments. But the US Congress, government and media never regard such attacks as acts violating human rights and religious freedom. Yet, they have vehemently attacked China's lawful crackdown on the "Fa1un Gong," a typical anti-social, anti-humanity and anti-religious evil cult. Under the banner of religious belief, the cult exercises spiritual and belief control over the disciples, spreading the idea that "practising 'Fa1un Gong' eliminates misfortunes and cure diseases." It does not allow its followers to take medicine when ill, thus causing more than 1,700 people to become mentally ill due to the exercise of Fa1un Gong, or commit self-injury or suicide or even death, with serious consequences on the society and the people. It is exactly for the purpose of protecting human rights and normal freedom of religious belief that China announced to ban the "Fa1un Gong" evil cult and punish the tiny number of ringleaders that have committed law-violating criminal activities. That is perfectly justified and beyond reproach. In making much ado about it and accusing China of "violating freedom of religious belief," the United States can do whatever they like but forbid others to do the same, just as a Chinese saying goes, 'The magistrates are allowed to bum down houses while the common people were forbidden even to light lamps."

Freedom of religious belief is one of the basic human rights and freedoms. Respect for and protection of the freedom of religious belief constitute the common values and tasks of all countries in the world. Due to differences in historical conditions, cultural backgrounds, development levels and social systems, the religious concepts and development vary from country to country and that determines the disparities in the ways and means and specific practice in protecting the freedom of religious belief. That is only too natural. Countries with different civilizations, religious concepts and practices should enter into dialogue and exchange views rather than creating confrontation and exchanging attacks. All countries should fully respect the differences in the conditions of religious development and the diversity in the pattern of human rights development and carry out dialogue, exchange experience and enhance mutual understanding and reduce the un-called-for confrontation and disputes in the area of religion on the basis of equality and mutual respect. There should be no interference in the internal affairs of other countries under the signboard of "safeguarding freedom of religious belief. I'd like to offer a piece of advice to the US government: respect the objective realities in the world and give up its attempt to push its hege-monism and power politics by exploiting religious issues.

Chen Guangyuan (President of the Islamic Association of China):

It is quite unjust and has not the slightest respect for the fact for the USCIRF to have gone such a length to wickedly slander China for its freedom of religious belief.

We owe the spread and progress of the doctrines and cultures of all religions to the full implementation of the policy of religious freedom. All religions have trained their respective successors and the citizens have been ensured of their religious belief. That is a fact that can be substantiated by the growth in the number of believers and the number of churches and mosques in the country.

There are 18 million Islamic believers in China, involving people of ten minority nationalities. There are more than 30,000 mosques and more than 40,000 Imams and Akhunds. There are ten institutions offering higher education in Islam. In addition, the Islamic Association of China has selected young Muslims from various places to pursue further studies in Egypt, Pakistan and Libya. The Islamic Association of China holds an annual national "Koran Recitation" competition and contests in the preaching of the Prophet. Winners of the "Koran Recitation" competition would participate in the international competition in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates to demonstrate the level of Koran recitation of Chinese Muslims. The best speeches are selected from the contests in the preaching of the Prophet and compiled into books for publication. In recent years, the Islamic Association of China has set up an Islamic Affairs Guidance Committee, which has compiled a new edition of Collection of Speeches Preaching the Prophet and conducted research into problems that involve new doctrines. The Association has also organized more than 2,000 Muslims to pay homage at Mecca every year. Ten Islamic colleges cooperated in compiling new teaching materials.

In China, religious people, like all other people, enjoy equal democratic rights. There are more than 17,000 religious people elected to the people's congresses, the Chinese version of legislature at all levels and the national and local committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the advisory body of the country.

The protection of religious beliefs has been codified in the Constitution. Before the founding of the People's Republic, foreigners controlled Chinese churches and Chinese believers had never had a chance of ascending on the platform. Now the Chinese have their own churches and run it better than never before.

Haji Shamsuddin (Vice-President of the Islamic Association of China):

The USCIRF report accused China of intensifying "the political crackdown" in Xinjiang, which it called a "province" to the ignorance that it is an autonomous region. This is extremely irresponsible. The Chinese government has done much to fight terrorism and safeguard the life and property of the people and that constitute an integral part of anti-terrorism in the world. The Islamic Association of China voices its strong support to the government in cracking down on the criminal activities that sabotage national unity in the name of spreading religion, engage in Jihad and kill what they call heretists in order to ascend the heaven.

We are very glad to see that the government has made strict distinction between normal religious activities and criminal activities in the name of religions in its fight against terrorism. In recent years, the central government has invested nearly 10 million yuan in rebuilding and repairing a number of mosques and ancient temples. Since the beginning of 2000, the Islamic Association of Xinjiang compiled Selected Speeches Preaching the Prophet in both Uygur and the Han languages. The Islamic Association of China worked in cooperation with the Islamic Association of Xinjiang in compiling quite a number of books on Islam in Arabic and Chinese and also in Uygur. The Institute of Islamic Theology financed by the government has over the past three years trained nearly 1,000 Imams.

All the above facts give the lie to the allegation by USCIRF. It is only under the condition of fewer terrorist activities and stable social order that is it possible for our Islam and other religions to get better protected. I believe that with the increasing wins over terrorism, the law and order in Xinjiang will further improve and the freedom of religious belief will be even better protected.

Nagtsang Jampa Ngawang {Deputy Secretary General of the Buddhist Association of China and Vice-President of the Tibetan Buddhist Institute}:

I see no truth in the USIRF allegation that the Chinese government "retains tight control over religious activity and places of worship in Tibet."

"Equality, unity and mutual aid among all ethnic groups and respect for the freedom of religious belief and customs and conventions of minorities" -that is the policy the central government has always adhered to. All the seven prefectures and cities in Tibet Autonomous Region have their own Buddhist associations. The autonomous regional Association of Buddhism has its own journal and Sutra Press. Since the beginning of the 1980s, the central government has allocated funds, gold and silver to Tibet for use to service and protect Buddhist temples. To date, the total amount of funds allocated has come to more than 300 million yuan. The repairs of the Potala Palace alone cost the government 6.7 million yuan, 11 kilograms of gold, more than 2,000 kilograms of silver and a large amount of precious stones. The building of the Tenth Banqen Stupa cost the state 66.2 million yuan and 650 kilograms of gold. In 1994, the state allocated another 20 million yuan for continuing the repairs of Gandain Monastery.

In addition, the government has intensified the collection and sorting out of Buddhist classics. Since the beginning of the 1990s, a number of new editions of Buddhist scriptures including Tripitaka-the Bakgyur, the Tibetan-Han Bilingual General Catalogue of Tripitaka and Collection of Mani have been published to meet the growing demand. The treatises by religious study institutions, senior monks and scholars have also been published.

The state respects the beliefs and ways, rituals and established ways of reincarnation of living Buddha. Since the 1990s, the Tibetan regional government approved the reincarnation of more than 200 living Buddhas. In 1992, the State Administration for Religious Affairs approved the succession of the 17th Karma-pa. In 1995, China successfully concluded the search for and identification of the reincarnation of the 1 Oth Panchen Lama and the title-conferring and the enthronement of the 11 th Panchen Lama after lot-drawing from a golden um according to the established religious rituals and historical conventions of Tibetan Buddhism, and with the approval of the State Council. All these show that the freedom of religious belief of the Tibetan people is well protected.

We have also opened a Tibetan Buddhism Institute in Beijing to recruit living Buddhas in Tibet for training senior Buddhist personnel. The Institute has run nine training courses and trained nearly 200 Living Buddhas.

Governments at all levels have given equal treatment to believers of different religions and different sects of religion. Monks and nuns leam, debate Buddhist sutras freely, hold abhiseka (consecration by pouring water on the head), ordination, perform all kinds of religious rituals, delivering the dead and touching head as blessing. Every Buddhist believing family has a niche for the statue of Buddha. Every year, Lhasa would see millions of Buddhist pilgrimages.

The USCIRF report also attacked China by fumbling out the case of Lobsang Dondrup, a criminal who committed crimes in the April 2002 explosion, incited separatism, illegally possessed guns and engaged in terrorist attacks. The USCIRF has either ulterior motives or intentionally protect terrorism in doing so.

Min Zhiting (President of the Daoist Association of China):

As a Daoist, I am overwhelmed with indignation at the reckless attack by the USCIRF. The freedom of belief as a Daoist in China is beyond doubt.

Since reform and opening up, the Daoist activities have been restored in all parts of China. Now there are more than 1,600 Daoist temples open in the country with the number of believers in Chuan-Zhen Daoism and Chengyi Daoism reaching more than 30,000. Among them, more than 150 are delegates to the people's congresses (legislature) at all levels and members of national and local committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Many time-honored temples have been under good protection by the state as cultural relics. The central government has also allocated money for rebuilding and repairing Daoist temples. The repairs of Baiyun Guan (White Cloud Temple) in Beijing cost the government three million yuan. The routine religious activities have been going on normally and some large national activities are held regularly. The Chuan-zhen Daoism held three large-scale commandants and rules ceremonies in 1989,1995 and 2002. The Chengyi Daoism held twice ordination ceremonies in 1991 and 1995. Together with Daoists in Hong Kong and Taiwan, the Chinese Daoist Association held an unprecedented grand ceremonial prayer in Beijing in 1993 and Miaoshan, Shanxi Province, in 2001. At the invitation of Taiwan Daoists, a delegation was sent to Taipci for a grand prayer activity in 2002. At the completion of the repairs of Baiyun Guan in Beijing in 2000, a grand ceremony was held with the participation of Daoists from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Britain and Italy.

In mid-March this year, the Chinese Daoist Association sponsored activities to remember the birth anniversary of Lao Zi and more than 1,500 people from at home and abroad were invited to attend. The annual temple fair at Baiyun Guan attracted 30,000-40,000 people every year. We have exchanged visits with religious circles of many countries. I attended the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders held by the United Nations and in June 2002 I attended the Peace Conference of Religions of Asia held in Indonesia and was elected one of the five co-chairmen of the council.

Father Jos Ma Yinglin (Secretary General of the Chinese Catholic Bishops' College)

The Bible commands us: "But let your communication be. Yea, yea; Nay, nay." (Mathews, Chapter V, Line 37). I have to present what it is with the situation of religion in China as a rebuke to the allegations by the USCIRF about China.

In the recent five years, we have stepped up training of young clergymen and nuns and encouraged them to take an active part in the social welfare activities. In the last five years, we have baptized 461,200 people, averaging 92,255 catechumen a year. We have published 440,000 copies of Bible and 1,861,500 copies of other Catholic books. There are 12 large Catholic Seminaries, with 612 students. We have consecrated 635 new bishops. There are also 56 nunneries, with 3,000 nuns. Churches in all places opened 171 clinics. In addition there are 34 old people's homes and recuperative centers in the country.

We have also sent more than 100 students to study abroad. They include 60 clergymen. At the same time we have also invited experts and professors from the United States, Germany, France, Spain and Canada as well as Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan Province to give lectures at our Catholic seminaries. Recently, we have set up an additional department for further study at the Chinese Catholic Seminary to improve the general quality of young bishops.

We owe all these achievements to the sincere implementation of the policies toward religions by the central government. Never has anyone in our Catholic church been detained or arrested for personal belief. But on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, we sec that in what is professed as the paradise of freedom and democracy, a bishop in Detroit was arrested because he was against the war on Iraq and appealed for peace.

I would like to advise some people in the US government: Just face the facts and be just and fair; do not hold on to double standards; you must learn to respect the cultures and rights of other countries and take a good care of your own affairs while working together with the rest of the international community for world peace; and you must learn to respect others' state sovereignty and human dignity as well as democracy and freedom.

Gao Ying (member of the Standing Committee of the China Christian Council and Vice-President of the Beijing Christian Affairs Committee)

The Gong Shengliang case mentioned in the annual report by the USCIRF does not tally with facts. As a Christian believer, I feel obliged to set it to rights.

Investigations have proved that starting from 1991, Gong Shengliang and others began to organize illegally the "South China Church" and fabricated and spread superstitious ideas and Gong Shengliang himself directly planned and executed ten cases of deliberate injuries and arson. He deserved well the punishment. In addition. Gong raped eight women and deceived more than 4 million yuan of money into his own hands by taking advantage of his position as a leader of the "church." Can we allow such bad element to spread evil cult in the name of Christianity! Should we tolerate a person engaging in evil activities and defaming our Christianity! Will the US government let such a criminal go without punished by law?

In recent years, there have been a tiny number of people in the US government who have turned a blind eye to the efforts by the Chinese government to implement the policy of freedom of religious belief and to the tremendous development of Christianity in China. They have shut their eyes to the historical tide of seeking friendship and development between the people and churches of China and the United States. By making much ado about a religious criminal, the USCIRF aimed at interfering in and controlling China's religious affairs. This our Chinese Christian believers can never accept. We hope that the liny minority in the US government who have ulterior motives to respect facts and stop doing what is harmful to the friendly relations between the Chinese and American people and to the feelings of the churches and Christian believers of the two countries.

Sheng Hui, Master {Vice-President of the Buddhist Association of China}

The USCIRF has appeared to be a feeble defender of the evil cult "Falun Gong" as it in its annual report vilified the Chinese government for cracking down on the evil cult. I must tell the tiny number of people in the US government that "Falun Gong" is no religion but on the contrary it is an evil cult that is harmful to religion.

The ringleader Li Hongzhi has plagiarized many Buddhist terms into his books. People with a little Buddhist knowledge could see that Li Hongzhi does not understand the terms at all. What he does is to distort and exploit them in order to realize his ulterior motives.

Li Hongzhi also attacks religion, saying, "all religious believers are onlookers as Shen (divine) does not recognize religions," and "the present-day religions, such as Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Judaism cannot deliver people. They are mean." He also said that "at present day world, only what I am passing on is authentic," and "I can deliver the whole mankind to the world of brightness and I am a savior superior to Sakyamuni, Lao Zi and Jesus." "If I cannot deliver you," he said, "no other can do so." There is no need to rebuke these absurdities. It is enough to prove what Li Hongzhi is preaching. Not only so. Li Zhongzhi also organized his followers to exercise "Falun Gong" in front of the gates of Buddhist Temples and blocked Buddhist believers from their normal religious activities. He also instigated his followers to attack media organizations and government agencies. He exercises spiritual control over his followers, who have even gone so far as to abandon their wives and children, kill their parents in order to achieve "yuan man" (consummation) and go to "heavenly kingdom" as Li Hongzhi preaches that "only by casting aside death, is it possible to get to the ultimate consummation." What is even more intolerable is that the "Falun Gong" attacked the SinoSat to interfere with the normal TV reception. At a time when the people of the whole country are fighting against SARS, Li Hongzhi said in New York that "the Heaven is punishing the people."

As early as in 1996, the late President Zhao Puchu of the Buddhist Association of China pointed out: '"Falun Gong' is an evil cult," and "it is not enough to ban it. We must pull to pieces its fallacies." In January 1998, the Buddhist Association of China called a forum to criticize "Falun Gong". Participants reached a common understanding that "Falun Gong" is an evil cult. In June 1998, the Religious Culture Press published the book Buddhist Qi Gong and Falun Gong written by Chen Xingqiao of the Buddhist Association of China to reveal the nature as an evil cult of "Falun Gong". When the Chinese government issued order to ban the cult, Chinese Buddhists were elated, saying that the government has removed a big "cancer" from Buddhism.

The fact that the USCIRF openly defends "Falun Gong" and its ringleader Li Hongzhi, a criminal wanted by the Chinese government, reveals its true features of "helping the wicked perpetuate wicked deeds" and pushing its power politics.

Wang Yusheng (President and Secretary General of the China Care and Compassion Society and Director General of the China Science and Technology Museum)

Evil cults are a "cancer" in the presentday world, seriously threatening world peace and safety of mankind. "Falun Gong" nullifies the most basic values and ethics and morals commonly recognized by mankind. It fabricates evil fallacies and sells its witchcrafts and superstitious things and exercises spiritual control over its followers, illegally extorts money and kill people, tramples down on the dignity, life and other basic human rights and sabotage the most basic social order. It is nothing but an evil cult instead of "spiritual movement" as is called by the annual report of USCIRF.

The acts of "Falun Gong" have violated the Chinese laws and it is entirely justified for the Chinese government to ban it. The action of the Chinese government has won the popular support. From the end of 2000 to the beginning of 2001, there were 1.52 million people signing their names on a long scroll to express their determination to fight against "Falun Gong" and protect human rights. By the end of March 2002, our society had received 15,378 letters from the public, expressing their resolve to fight against the evil cult and protecting human rights.

The report by the USCIRF said that "according to 'Falun Gong' practitioners in the United States, in the last three years, over 100,000 practitioners have been sent to labor camps without trial, over 1,000 have been tortured in mental hospitals and from that group, 430 have been killed as a result of police brutality." What the report claims is just based on hearsay and it is therefore extremely irresponsible. Recently I have been to several prisons where "Falun Gong" criminals serve their terms for law violating activities. On February 13, this year, I saw Yao Jie who was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment and Teng Chunyan who was sentenced to three years of imprisonment. They said that they have received humane treatment. In April, Teng Chunyan was released ahead of time. She telephoned me and I invited her to see the Science and Technology Center and we dined together. In February 21-23, I saw in Zhengzhou prison Wang Jindong and Xue Hongjun who engineered the Tian'anmen self-burning suicide incident. In Kaifeng hospital, I saw Hao Huijun, Chen Guo and her mother and also Liu Baorong and the wife and daughter of Wang Jindong. They are all in good shape. Wang Jindong said regrettably that "Li Hongzhi is the biggest swindler and I am the biggest fool in the world." He said that he would take legal action against Li Hongzhi. He and Xue Hongjun gave me their letters of accusation against the crimes of the evil cult and asked me to forward them to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. I did so on March 18.

Zhang Hongyi (Executive Council Member of the China Society/or Human Rights Studies and Professor at the Beijing Normal University):

The annual report by the USCIRF listed a number of countries including China and accused them of their religious policies and conditions. The USCIRF claimed that "the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent federal government agency created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (IRFA) to monitor religious freedom in other countries and advise the President, Secretary of State, and Congress on how best to promote it. The Commission is the only government commission in the world with a mandate to review and report violations of the internationally-guaranteed right to freedom of religion and belief worldwide." This means that its rights are not granted by the United Nations or other international agencies, but by the United States itself. For a country that professes to respect democracy and freedom, it has openly imposed its own will on other countries in the name of a governmental agency. Is that an observance of the principles of international law? Is there democratic and equal international political order? The very existence of the USCIRP is not only illegal but constitutes an open challenge to the sovereignty of other countries.

The report heaped on many accusations against China, saying, "China's respect for religious freedom has diminished," yet it cannot produce any valid evidence. Apart from some fabricated "facts," the report is filled with such terms as "according to" or "reportedly." The report used "according to" and "reportedly" in ten places in the part about China that run only about 1,200 words. A governmental commission that claimed to be serious has gone so far as to use a heap of materials for accusing other countries and provide recommendations to the president turned out to be a heap of worthless waste paper.

It is only the Chinese people themselves who have the say in the policies toward religion in China.

It is not an isolated incident for the US authorities to attack China and other countries by exploiting religious issues. The essence of the report is fully revealed in USCIRF's statement: "One of the primary functions of the Commission is to make creative policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and the Congress to ensure that the promotion and protection of religious freedom and other human rights are an integral part of U.S. foreign policy."