In July 1999, Jiang Zemin, then leader of the Chinese Communist Party, launched his persecution campaign against Falun Gong. Jealous at Falun Gong's growing popularity in Chinese society, Jiang said in a speech before the Party's Central Committee: “I just don’t believe that the CCP can’t beat Falun Gong.” He then gave the threefold order: “Ruin their reputation, bankrupt them financially, and destroy them physically,” and subsequently set the entire Chinese state machinery in motion to execute the suppression of Falun Gong.
This CCP-controlled apparatus includes the army, the media, public security personnel, the police, para-military police, state security forces, judicial system, the National People’s Congress and diplomatic personnel. In June 1999, Jiang Zemin established the 6-10 Office, a Gestapo-like organ acting above the law, to direct the persecution.
In carrying out the order of “ruining their reputation”, information about Falun Gong was destroyed on a large scale, including book burnings throughout the country. An Internet blockade was set up which made information about Falun Gong from outside China inaccessible. The CCP-controlled news media launched an anti-Falun Gong propaganda blitz. For over seven hours a day the CCTV broadcast preprogrammed footage to spread lies about Falun Gong, including the so called self-immolation. Over 2,000 newspapers and over 1,000 magazines under the absolute control of the CCP became overloaded with propaganda against Falun Gong. Within only six months, over 300,000 fabricated news articles and programmes smearing and targeting Falun Gong were published or broadcast.
Months after the persecution began, the National People's Congress and the judicial system implemented "laws" retroactively to justify all the crimes committed by Jiang Zemin. Lawyers who defended Falun Gong practitioners and pointed out the illegality of the persecution, have lost their licence or have been persecuted themselves.
According to the organising principle of the CCP , all Party members are subordinate to the Central Committee. Jiang Zemin exploited this principle in persecuting Falun Gong. The army, police and military police are directly responsible for the abductions, arrests and torture of Falun Gong practitioners throughout China. The black cloud of oppression choking the country, is reminiscent of the tragedy of the Cultural Revolution in the 60s and 70s.
