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Dear Reader,
In a pair of jarring attacks, two women were assaulted at information booths in New York City and London within a span of four days in late February. The victims were hospitalized and bloodied by assailants simply for sharing information about Falun Gong and the Chinese regime’s persecution. The attacks reinforce concerns about the safety of volunteers engaged in peaceful outreach activities and the broader issue of transnational repression linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Also in this issue:
Senators Ted Cruz and Jeff Merkeley re-introduced the bipartisan Falun Gong and Victims of Forced Organ Harvesting Protection Act. Additionally, U.S. lawmakers are urging the designation of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) as a foreign mission of China. In its 2026 report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) again identified Falun Gong as a victim of religious freedom violations and highlighted ongoing repression of the group in several countries. A New Yorker comments on the torture her father experienced in a Chinese prison after an account of the many forms of abuse he faced is published online. The Falun Dafa Information Center (FDIC) has updated the landing page addressing common misconceptions about Falun Gong.
Finally, I’d like to share my recent interview discussing a recent Chinese bomb threat that targeted the residence of Australia’s prime minister. |
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Sincerely, |
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Levi Browde, Executive Director
Falun Dafa Information Center |
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FEATURE STORY |
Falun Gong Practitioners Assaulted at Information Booths in New York City and London |
What’s new?
Assaults targeting Falun Gong practitioners at information booths in the United States and Europe are being reported more frequently. On Feb. 27, Lydia Dong was assaulted while volunteering at a booth in New York City. According to witness accounts and video footage, an Asian man approached her from behind and struck her on the head before fleeing the scene. Lydia was later taken to a hospital and treated for her injuries.
The attack came just four days after another assault in London, where a Falun Gong practitioner speaking with Chinese tourists near the British Museum was assaulted by a tour bus driver. London police have opened a criminal investigation.
“These are peaceful, lawful activities by law-abiding people trying to inform the public about an urgent human rights crisis and brutal reality in China. These volunteers, especially women, should not be assaulted on the streets of London and New York for talking and handing out flyers,” said Levi Browde. “Police need to investigate promptly and deter copycat attacks.”
Why does it matter?
Falun Gong practitioners have spent more than two decades peacefully raising awareness about the persecution they face in China, including through public information booths and demonstrations around the world. The spiritual practice was banned by the CCP in 1999, and practitioners in China have since faced widespread detention, torture, death in police custody, and other abuses.
Incidents like these two in New York and London exemplify how the CCP’s harassment and intimidation extends beyond China’s borders, if not directly by Chinese agents, then via other assailants who have been deceived by the regime’s false and demonizing anti-Falun Gong propaganda. Researchers and policymakers increasingly describe such activities as transnational repression, in which authoritarian governments attempt to silence critics and targeted communities abroad. Falun Gong practitioners have long been a primary CCP target of transnational repression, though the impact of such attacks is much broader, undermining freedom of expression and religious liberty in democratic societies.
What else do you need to know?
The two assaults are not isolated. The Falun Dafa Information Center (FDIC) has documented multiple incidents in recent months where Falun Gong practitioners at public information sites have faced vandalism or physical attacks. Besides the United States and United Kingdom, cases have also appeared in other countries including Australia and Malaysia. In New York City alone, at least five similar confrontations and attacks have occurred repeatedly over the past five years. Some were directly instigated by CCP-linked entities. |
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On Feb. 27, an unidentified individual approached from behind and struck Lydia on the back of the head, knocking her to the ground. (Global Tuidang Center) |
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EVENTS |
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U.S. Lawmakers Update: Falun Gong Protection Act Reintroduced in Senate, Congress Tackles Chinese Student and Scholar Associations’ Regime Ties |
On March 11, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) reintroduced the Falun Gong and Victims of Forced Organ Harvesting Protection Act. The bipartisan bill imposes sanctions on those responsible for forced organ harvesting in China and directs the Secretary of State to report to Congress on the CCP’s organ harvesting policies and transplant system. The Senate action comes after the House of Representatives passed the Falun Gong Protection Act unanimously in May 2025.
Separately, on March 5, in the House of Representatives, Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL), and Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking him to designate the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) as a foreign mission of China’s government.
“Regarding the Select Committee on China’s call to designate the CSSA as a foreign mission of China’s government, we can certainly say this has been our experience,” Levi Browde commented. “The Falun Dafa Information Center has documented cases in which CSSA influence on university campuses has targeted and sought to silence Falun Gong practitioners, including students and faculty.”
A 2023 FDIC report examining CCP influence on U.S. university campuses found, for example, that officials from the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chicago reportedly pressured a CSSA chapter to remove a student because of his association with Falun Gong. |
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AROUND THE WORLD |
IRF 2026 Annual Report Highlights Persecution of Falun Gong in China and Several Other Countries |
The USCIRF report highlighted ongoing repression of Falun Gong in China in its 2026 Annual Report, as well transnational repression or restrictions imposed by foreign governments close to the Chinese regime, noting that practitioners remain among the victims of serious religious freedom violations worldwide.
In China, which USCIRF again recommends be designated as a Country of Particular Concern, authorities continued imprisoning Falun Gong practitioners and other members of unrecognized religious groups. The report cites the case of an 87-year-old practitioner who was reportedly forced to begin serving a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence in August 2025. USCIRF also noted that several elderly practitioners reportedly died in custody during the year, underscoring ongoing concerns about mistreatment in detention.
The report also documents cases outside China, such as those in Russia and Malaysia, where Falun Gong practitioners have been detained by local authorities under pressure from the Chinese government. Overall, USCIRF’s report underscores that Falun Gong practitioners continue to face detention, prosecution, and harassment in multiple countries, reflecting persistent global concerns over religious freedom protections. |
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PERSECUTION IN CHINA |
New Yorker’s Father Details Torture in Chinese Prison for Practicing Falun Gong |
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Wangling Prison, Hunan Province (Minghui.org) |
On Oct. 27, 2020, Mr. Chen Yang was detained and in January 2022 sentenced to four years in prison. His wife was also imprisoned. After years of not knowing what had become of them, their daughter Grace Chen, living in New York and studying nursing, recently learned of the torture her father had experienced in prison. On Feb. 24, the Minghui website published a detailed account of the torture Mr. Chen endured in Wangling Prison.
Police used brutal methods in an attempt to force him to renounce his faith, including waterboarding and stabbing, and forcing him to drink urine. Grace last saw her father seven years ago, when she was only 14 years old. She is now in college and an Army private first class.
“It’s really unbelievable that this happens in China nowadays, happened to my dearest relatives. There’s no evidence that my dad did anything against law, against the will of others. Is there any legal basis for this persecution?” Grace told the FDIC.
“I am so thankful that my dad survived, narrowly escaped death several times. I feel grateful for my mom and other practitioners who help to organize and publish the article, and especially my dad, who has to recall to terrible memories in order to uncover the crimes that hurt him so deeply. I deeply admire my father’s courage, as well as his steadfast faith and his never-give-up spirit. He is a hero to me.” |
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Have you read this? Falun Gong Misconceptions |
Who practices Falun Gong? What do practitioners actually believe? Are they “intolerant” or opposed to medicine as the Chinese government and some media reports would have readers believe? We invite you to take a few minutes to check out our recently updated page addressing common misconceptions about Falun Gong, debunking key falsehoods appearing in media coverage and narratives originating from the CCP’s propaganda apparatus. |
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On Feb. 27, Levi Browde joined NTD News to discuss a recent bomb threat email that targeted the residence of Australia’s prime minister and demanded the cancellation of performances by Shen Yun Performing Arts. The threat prompted authorities to temporarily evacuate the prime minister’s residence while security officials investigated. No actual bomb was detected.
Browde explains that such threats have occurred in waves over the past two years, particularly during Shen Yun’s global touring season, though performances have continued without interruption. He also points to investigations by Taiwanese authorities and the analytics firm Graphika that traced related threats back to China. Browde argues the campaign reflects a broader effort by Beijing to silence Shen Yun and suppress exposure of the CCP’s human rights abuses and cultural repression. |
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