Dragon Springs Archives - Falun Dafa Information Center

INCIDENT TRACKERMonitoring the CCP’s Latest Transnational Repression and Disinformation Campaign against Falun Gong, Shen Yun The CCP has long engaged in transnational repression targeting Falun Gong and a global censorship campaign to silence Shen Yun Performing Arts, an American classical Chinese dance company founded by Falun Gong practitioners. However, the aggressiveness, frequency, and violent nature of incidents has increased dramatically over the past year. Moreover, the tactics being deployed are more sophisticated and subtle, often operating via proxies or even unwitting amplifiers in the United States. 6 Leaks on CCP plans19 Death threats3 Physical attacksXX Lawfare suits5 Fake impersonations200 + (?) anti-Falun Gong videos by pro-Beijing YouTubersXX mainstream media misleading articles (4 NYT articles, but if we count how many papers published AP or other stories would be moreThis shift is not accidental. According to internal party sources, in 2022, CCP head Xi Jinping complained that efforts to silence Falun Gong to date had not been “creative enough” and called on the regime’s security and secret police apparatus to intensify its efforts. The result has been a new and reinvigorated campaign to smear the reputation of Falun Gong and Shen Yun globally, while trying to manipulate U.S. government agencies to launch investigations, all with the aim of dealing a “final blow” to Falun Gong.Since June, multiple internal party sources have leaked details and instructions that reinforce Xi’s directives and outline specific tactics that the regime plans to deploy. These are now manifesting in real-world events.The Center’s researchers have put together this timeline to document these new incidents, law enforcement responses, internal CCP leaks, and other pertinent information as they come to light. For a more detailed analysis of the campaign and its tactics, see this page.In an indication of the escalation and potential dangers evident in this campaign, at least 20 of the incidents documented in 2024 involved threats of violence or physical assaults against Falun Gong practitioners, Shen Yun performers, theaters hosting Shen Yun Performances, or other public venues. In most cases, actual violence did not come to pass and bomb threats turned out to be false. However, three physical attacks did occur: an assault on Falun Gong parade participants, the slashing of a Shen Yun vehicle’s tires, and a break-in to the home of an outspoken torture survivor. June 2024 Leaks from a Secret CCP Meeting: New push to eliminate Falun Gong and Shen Yun globally Leaks from a Secret CCP Meeting: New push to eliminate Falun Gong and Shen Yun globally In June and July 2024, the Center obtained leaked notes from internal meetings and reports at China’s Ministry of Public Security and a state-run think tank. These stated explicitly that the regime was planning to escalate its strategy to “eliminate” Falun Gong worldwide, particularly targeting the United States. The notes cited forthcoming use of a variety of tactics—such as supporting anti-Falun Gong YouTubers, pushing false narratives to overseas media, and activating spies embedded in the Falun Gong community. “Mobilize concealed agents to create and escalate the internal conflicts of Falun Gong, to expand nonstop the fighting strength, depth, and reach of … they must attract the continuous attention of the entire United States society, and force the U.S. government to strike on all fronts, eliminating the force of Falun Gong.” October 2022 China China, October 2022 In secret meeting, Xi Jinping orders escalated attack on Falun Gong overseas Prior to the Party’s 20th National Congress in October 2022, CCP leader Xi Jinping reportedly convened a secret meeting with senior security officials and directed fresh measures for the crackdown on Falun Gong. In his remarks, Xi reportedly complained that efforts to date to silence Falun Gong globally had not been “creative enough.” He then gave directives to employ two tactics—lawfare (strategic filing of typically baseless lawsuits to burden targets and smear their reputation) and disinformation.Xi is said to have specifically urged the use of social media accounts and mainstream media with no traceable ties to the CCP. At the implementation level, Xi assigned leadership of the campaign to the party’s Political and Legal Affairs Commission (PLAC), which oversees the security apparatus, primarily the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of State Security. Although the meeting occurred in 2022, news of it taking place and its details only became public in December 2024, when an Australian scholar and dissident shared the information with an overseas newspaper, saying he had heard it from two separate sources in China with knowledge of internal party meetings. May 2023 New York, USA New York, May 2023 US Government Charges CCP Agents for Bribery Scheme Targeting Falun Gong, Shen Yun On May 26, 2023, a federal court charged two Chinese agents for furthering a transnational repression campaign against Falun Gong practitioners through a bribery scheme in Orange County, New York. The two agents attempted to bribe a purported Internal Revenue Service (IRS) official with tens of thousands of dollars under the direction of a CCP official. Their request was that the tax-exempt status of a Falun Gong-related organization be revoked. The IRS official was in fact an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the pair were detained and prosecuted. As further details of the case emerged later, it became clear that the targeted Falun Gong-related entity was in fact Shen Yun Performing Arts. The pair also admitted to traveling to New York “to surveil Falun Gong residents in Orange County, New York and to collect information which would be the basis for a potential environmental lawsuit meant to inhibit the growth of the Falun Gong community in Orange County, New York.” Read more →January 2024 Falun Dafa Information Center Falun Dafa Information CenterJanuary 2024 New report documents 18 years of CCP attempts to sabotage Shen Yun This report published by the Falun Dafa Information Center analyzed the CCP’s long standing campaign against Shen Yun. The CCP has used a range of tactics, including diplomatic pressure, economic threats, disinformation, and acts of sabotage, to stop Shen Yun performances. The report found that this campaign has spanned 38 countries, with over 130 documented incidents, as the CCP views Shen Yun’s portrayal of authentic Chinese culture and its connection to Falun Gong practitioners as a threat to its power. Despite these efforts, most theaters and governments have resisted the regime’s pressure, though some have succumbed to CCP influence and canceled performances. Read more → Map of attempted interference targeting Shen Yun performances in 38 countries.January 2024 USA USA, January 2024 Beijing-backed YouTuber mentions being in touch with the New York Times As early as January 2024, a Beijing-backed YouTuber who had already emerged as a vocal—and often irrational—critic of Falun Gong and Shen Yun mentioned on his channel that he was in contact with the Times. This same YouTuber faces illegal weapons charges in the United States and had previously threatened violence against Shen Yun performers.In at least 14 subsequent posts on YouTube and X from January through August 2024, he made references to a Times articles targeting Shen Yun (a piece that was ultimately published in mid-August). His comments included claims that because of forthcoming reporting Falun Gong and Shen Yun would be “screwed.” In two posts on X after the article’s publication, this YouTuber spoke of how he facilitated interviews for the Times and otherwise influenced its reporting. Read more →March 2024 Taiwan Taiwan, March 2024 New York Times interviewee’s Taiwan-based dance studio asks students from families who practice Falun Gong to leave A central interviewee in the New York Times’ article on Shen Yun (published in August 2024) runs a dance studio in Taiwan. In March 2024, the studio asked students from families who practice Falun Gong to leave and gave them refunds. This former Shen Yun dancer had developed ties to the Chinese state-run Beijing Dance Academy after leaving Shen Yun and prior to making this request; the studio is also reported to have investors from mainland China. Read more →March 2024 California Canada Taiwan USA Canada TaiwanMarch 2024 Shen Yun headquarters and theaters threatened with a series of false bomb threats and mass shooting threats Fake bomb threats and mass shooting threats targeted Shen Yun’s headquarters in New York and theaters in California, Vancouver (Canada), and Taiwan, while tour buses had their tires slashed in Costa Mesa, California. Though the anonymous threats were all confirmed to be false after precautions were taken, these incidents reflected an escalation in efforts by the CCP or its proxies to disrupt Shen Yun’s performances. Read more → Photo of email sent to management at a theater in Santa Barbara, California on March 22, 2024.May 7, 2024 France France, May 7, 2024 French theater hosting Shen Yun receives bomb threats and mass shooting threats Ahead of a Shen Yun performance in May 2024, a theater in Amneville, France received an email claiming that if the forthcoming Shen Yun shows were not canceled, “we will go to the concert hall to shoot and throw grenades at the crowd!” Local authorities were notified, and the shows proceeded without incident.July 4, 2024 New York New York, July 4, 2024 A Shen Yun-affiliated dance school, Fei Tian College, receives bomb threat At around 4:00 AM on July 4, Fei Tian College’s website received an inquiry submission claiming, “We put some explosives in the school. We bribed the guards and sneaked into the school smoothly. We will explode tomorrow morning. Hey, we are not kidding. We will make this stupid school into ruins.” These threats were reported to law enforcement, and while campus security remained vigilant, no violence actually occurred. “We put some explosives in the school. We bribed the guards and sneaked into the school smoothly. We will explode tomorrow morning..." July 6, 2024 New York New York, July 6, 2024 Fei Tian College receives extortion attempt A submission through the website contact form of Fei Tian College’s claimed that hackers had collected personal information about the college’s students and faculty, including their home addresses. It threatened to send the information to the CCP if the college did not send $25 million USD within 3 days.July 21, 2024 New York New York, July 21, 2024 Shen Yun’s training campus receives bomb threat, ransom demand An individual sent an email to Shen Yun’s training campus, Dragon Springs, claiming to have planted explosives on the campus and trying to ransom money from Shen Yun. As before, these threats were reported to law enforcement, and no violence occurred. July 22, 2024 New York New York, July 22, 2024 Shen Yun’s website receives message from individual claiming to be responsible for previous bomb threats An individual submitted a message through the contact form on the Shen Yun website, claiming to be responsible for previous bomb threats. This individual included the email addresses used in past bomb threats and bragged that he or she would not be caught because “you, the U.S. Congress, the State Department, and the FBI are all incompetent men who will always be at my feet!” “You, the U.S. Congress, the State Department, and the FBI are all incompetent men who will always be at my feet!” July 24 and 25, 2024 New York New York, July 24 and 25, 2024 Two men plead guilty in bribery scheme targeting Shen Yun Two Chinese agents in New York pleaded guilty to participating in a CCP-directed transnational repression campaign targeting Falun Gong practitioners. The agents attempted to bribe a supposed official of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in exchange for revoking the tax-exempt status of Shen Yun Performing Arts, a nonprofit started by Falun Gong practitioners. The agents face sentencing in October 2024, with maximum sentences of 25 years in prison. Read more → Chen Jun (left) and Lin Feng (right) pleaded guilty in the Southern District of New York Federal Court to illegally acting as CCP agents, carrying out Beijing’s influence campaign on U.S. soil. August 1, 2024 New York New York, August 1, 2024 Death threat sent to Falun Dafa Information Center Staff An individual, using a Chinese name, sent an email to Levi Browde, executive director of the Falun Dafa Information Center, threatening to kill members of the organization’s staff who are listed on its website and their families. The email also included photos of shotgun shells and a loaded shotgun. Moreover, the email sender appears to have tried to impersonate a prominent Chinese dissident—Mr. Jie Lijian—who has in fact been very supportive of Falun Gong and outspoken against the persecution, indicating an attempt by the sender to also sow discord between practitioners and other Chinese activists. “You will meet God. You, and ... as well as family members, all will be killed. I'm not kidding you!" Click image to enlarge.August 7, 2024Falun Dafa Information Center Falun Dafa Information CenterAugust 7, 2024 New report details CCP plans to escalate disinformation and transnational repression targeting Falun Gong The Falun Dafa Information Center published a report analyzing newly leaked information revealing that the Chinese regime has made a strategic decision to escalate its persecution of Falun Gong globally, intensifying its use of propaganda, disinformation, and transnational repression targeting Falun Gong, especially in the United States. A key tactic cited in the leaked notes involves mobilizing the MPS and other CCP entities to “fully support” social media influencers in attacking Falun Gong and Shen Yun Performing Arts. Additionally, the regime plans to activate a network of embedded spies, including within Falun Gong itself, to “eliminate” the spiritual group worldwide. The report details these and other tactics—such as search engine manipulation—evident from the leaked information, while considering its implications, what to watch for next, and recommendations for action by the U.S. government and technology firms. Read more → Weaponizing Social Media: The CCP’s New Plan to “Eliminate” Falun Gong WorldwideAugust 10, 2024 New York 🇺🇸 New York, August 10, 2024 The Central Park Zoo receives a bomb threat from someone claiming to be a Falun Gong practitioner Multiple departments of the Central Park Zoo in New York City received a threat via email and a contact form submission that claimed to be a Falun Gong practitioner and said they had placed bombs throughout the zoo. The email demanded the zoo send $5 Million USD to Dragon Springs, the training campus for Shen Yun Performing Arts. One of the threats also listed the email address of the Falun Dafa Information Center’s executive director as its sender in an apparent attempt to implicate him. The zoo, skeptical of the threat’s credibility, contacted Mr. Browde who confirmed the false impersonation attempt.August 15-16, 2024 New York 🇺🇸 New York, August 15-16, 2024 New York Times publishes articles attacking Shen Yun and Falun Gong The New York Times published five articles critical of Shen Yun Performing Arts and Falun Gong. The primary articles portrayed Shen Yun as an abusive environment and downplayed the persecution of Falun Gong in China. These pieces largely relied on a small, unrepresentative sample of former performers—several with ties to a Chinese state-run entity and Beijing-backed YouTuber—and omitted important context and perspectives that contradicted the negative narrative. Human rights experts and those familiar with Falun Gong criticized the articles for aligning with the CCP’s disinformation campaign against Falun Gong. On August 26, the Falun Dafa Information Center published the results of its investigation into inaccuracies, ethical breaches, and other problems with the reporting. Read more →August 18, 2024 USA 🇺🇸 USA, August 18, 2024 Beijing-backed YouTuber boasts on X about introducing interviewees to New York Times reporters Just days after the New York Times published problematic articles on Shen Yun and Falun Gong, a Beijing-backed YouTuber boasted on X that “I was the one who introduced people to the New York Times, especially for the initial interviews.” In leaked meeting notes from China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) in June 2024, this YouTuber was named as an individual who should receive the regime’s support. The YouTuber also faces possession of illegal weapons charges in the United States and has made threats of violence against Shen Yun performers and Falun Gong. Read more → Translation: I was the one who introduced people to the New York Times, especially for the initial interviews. They found additional people through that. I may be mentioned in a future article by the New York Times on Shen Yun. August 18, 2024 August 19, 2024 New York New York, August 19, 2024 Threat of violence is sent to Shen Yun’s website On August 19, Shen Yun received a threatening message demanding the removal of its statement responding to the New York Times’ reports. The message warned that if the statement was not removed within a month, “Shen Yun Performing Arts and Fei Tian school employees, and family members very likely will have some inexplicable car accidents, their houses will unexplainably catch fire and burn, and also may be attacked by New York gangsters.” The sender urged Shen Yun to consider the safety of its staff and their families. Read more → “Shen Yun Performing Arts and Fei Tian school employees, and family members very likely will have some inexplicable car accidents, their houses will unexplainably catch fire and burn, and also may be attacked by New York gangsters.” September 3, 2024 New York New York, September 3, 2024 Threat of violence is sent to Shen Yun’s training campus Shen Yun’s training campus, Dragon Springs, received an anonymous email threatening to assault students and staff at Shen Yun and Fei Tian Academy of the Arts if Shen Yun’s response to the New York Times’ recent problematic reporting on Shen Yun was not taken down from its website. The email mirrored a similar threat that was received two weeks before. The email said that performers, students, and staff are “likely to have a car accident, be attacked by New York gangsters, and a fire in their residences!” The email continued saying, “There may also be a fire in Dragon Springs in upstate, New York! Female students and female staff will be sexually assaulted and gang-raped! I’m not kidding you!”Early September, 2024 New York New York, Early September, 2024 Fake calls to protest against the New York Times posted online After the New York Times published misleading articles on Shen Yun and Falun Gong on August 15, inauthentic accounts on social media claiming to be people who practice Falun Gong spread posts planning a protest at the Times headquarters on September 15. Local Falun Gong coordinators identified the operation as a suspected CCP tactic to provoke an incident that would discredit Falun Gong (this conclusion was based on leaked CCP documents which warned practitioners that regime agents would attempt to provoke such an incident as part of the current campaign). On the day of the prospective protest, several suspicious individuals were observed loitering near the Times building, though no Falun Gong practitioners showed up. These individuals spoke with security outside the building, took photos of the entrances and surrounding areas, and made phone calls.September 9, 2024 USA 🇺🇸 USA, September 9, 2024 Email impersonating Shen Yun sent to the White House Shen Yun’s training campus received an automatic reply email from the White House, indicating that a Shen Yun-affiliated email address had been used in a contact form to make it appear as though Shen Yun had sent what was likely a threat of violence or some other content making Shen Yun seem bizarre. Similar tactics have been reported in the past in the United States and Australia of fake and strange emails sent to elected officials claiming to be from Falun Gong practitioners in an attempt to discredit the community.September 10-11, 2024 USA 🇺🇸 USA, September 10-11, 2024 Anonymous X account issues death threats against Falun Gong practitioners in replies to Shen Yun post On September 11, an anonymous X account published multiple replies to a post by a Shen Yun-affiliated account in which the user threatened violence and death to Falun Gong practitioners, Shen Yun’s “management,” and Falun Gong’s founder Mr. Li Hongzhi. The person claimed he/she wanted Falun Gong practitioners’ families to be “disabled,” referred to killing practitioners, and promised to give a “taste of a detonator I made myself.” In one post, the individual claimed to be “crazier” than a Beijing-backed YouTuber, mentioned above, who has threatened violence against Shen Yun and who faces illegal weapons charges in the United States. That YouTuber is also reportedly in contact with journalists from the New York Times who have published misleading and problematic reports about Shen Yun. Analysis of the anonymous X account’s activity indicates the user follows nearly only accounts spreading questionable information about Falun Gong and Shen Yun, including another Beijing-backed YouTuber in Japan and a former Shen Yun performer interviewed by the New York Times, who is known to have ties to a Chinese state-run entity.September 11, 2024 New York New York, September 11, 2024 Judge dismisses meritless lawsuit against Shen Yun’s campus, calls it "vague" and "illogical" A New York district court dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Mid-New York Environmental and Sustainability Promotion Committee (NYenvironcon), a group with ties to China, against Dragon Springs, the campus housing the training facilities of Shen Yun Performing Arts. This marked the group’s fourth unsuccessful attempt to claim environmental violations. Judge Kenneth M. Karas rejected the complaint as “vague” and “illogical” and barred future lawsuits on the same issue. The lawsuit is part of a broader transnational campaign by the CCP and its proxies aimed at discrediting Falun Gong and Shen Yun. The CCP has used similar tactics, including filing meritless lawsuits, to target other dissidents abroad and drain their resources. Read more →SKIP SKIP someSeptember 14, 2024 New York New York, September 14, 2024 Falun Gong practitioners assaulted during parade in Brooklyn, NY On September 14, Falun Gong practitioners held a parade in Brooklyn, NY to commemorate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and expose the persecution faced by practitioners in China. During the parade, two incidents occurred whereby unknown Chinese men assaulted participants, hitting and spitting on them. Two days later, a man claiming to be one of the assailants sent an email threatening further violence against Falun Gong practitioners. Read more → Early October, 2024 Taiwan Taiwan, Early October, 2024 Theaters in Taiwan receive false bomb threats and mass shooting threats During screenings of the award-winning documentary State Organs in Taiwan, theaters in Taichung, Kaohsiung, Yilan, and Pingtung, along with a Taipei media outlet, received emails claiming bombs had been planted in the theaters and threatening to shoot audiences if the film was shown. The documentary exposes the CCP’s horrific practice of forced organ harvesting, a crime the Chinese regime has long tried to cover up and suppress discussion of abroad. The threats appear to be an intimidation tactic, as no bombs have been found in any of the cases. October 29, 2024 New York New York, October 29, 2024 Email with bomb and death threat sent to Shen Yun’s training campus Someone using the name of a Shen Yun dancer sent an email to Shen Yun’s training campus, Dragon Springs, as well as several emails affiliated with the U.S. Federal Election Commission threatening to carry out a violent attack at the campus on the day of the U.S. election, November 5. “We secretly purchased remote control bombs, time bombs, booby traps, plastic C4, simple landmines and other explosives, as well as automatic rifles, pistols and other weapons,” the emailer claimed. “On election day, we will detonate explosives, then break into Dragon Springs and shoot all survivors!” The threat was reported to law enforcement and no actual violent attempts occurred. This threat comes amidst a slew of similar email threats sent to the training campus, theaters hosting Shen Yun, and other public venues beginning in March 2024. In each of the cases, no explosives were found, and no actual violence took place. "We secretly purchased remote control bombs, time bombs, booby traps, plastic C4, simple landmines and other explosives, as well as automatic rifles, pistols and other weapons... On election day, we will detonate explosives, then break into Dragon Springs and shoot all survivors!” Late October – Early November 2024 New York New YorkLate October – Early November 2024 Organ harvesting survivor faces increased threats and intimidation tactics, including home break-in Cheng Peiming, the first-known survivor of China’s forced organ harvesting, is under serious threat in the United States after exposing CCP atrocities. On October 31, a researcher shared with the Falun Dafa Information Center leaked meeting notes from a Public Security Bureau insider, revealing a three-part strategy by Heilongjiang security agencies to silence Cheng. The plan includes pressuring him to return to China through relatives and friends, offering rewards to retract his testimony, and, if those fail, killing Cheng and staging his death as a suicide. According to the insider, “The Heilongjiang Public Security Bureau is responsible for the implementation of this plot and they are already making preparations.”On November 2, 2024, unidentified individuals reportedly broke into his home between approximately 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM. The bolt on the garage door had been forced open, and two doors in his home were found unlocked and left ajar. The break-in occurred in the aftermath of several other attempted attacks on Cheng and his vehicle over the past three months. Following a screening in October in Delaware of the documentary film State Organs, at which Mr. Cheng spoke about his experience, someone keyed his car. On two other occasions, nails were also found lodged in his tires. The first time, he only discovered the nails after one tire burst while he was driving, though thankfully no one was hurt. Read more →November 2024 USA USA, November 2024 New York Times publishes additional articles alleging labor rights abuses by Shen Yun On November 17 and 25, the New York Times published two additional articles, relying largely on the same problematic sources as its August investigation. Notably, one article highlighted a lawsuit filed by a former Shen Yun dancer claiming labor rights abuses and outrageous allegations of “human trafficking.” That former performer was one of several from the August article that is known to have ties with Beijing Dance Academy (BDA), an innocuously named art institute that is actually led by 10 CCP members, including ones with portfolios like propaganda and United Front work. A series of Facebook posts show that the plaintiff’s attitude towards Shen Yun has changed dramatically from positive to negative over the past year in correlation to her dance studio in Taiwan establishing ties to BDA. This context was omitted from the Times’ articles, but garnered attention from the Associated Press and other news outlets. That article has been republished widely in the United States and around the world, spreading misleading and one-sided assertions about Shen Yun and Falun Gong. The incident fits with past patterns involving lawfare (strategic filing of typically baseless lawsuits to burden targets and smear their reputation). In a recent case unrelated to Falun Gong, two people indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice admitted that filing frivolous lawsuits against CCP critics is a deliberate tactic to tie them up in court and ruin their reputation. Shen Yun’s formal response to the lawsuit is available here.November 2024 China China, November, 2024 Internal Chinese source names Minister of State Security as key driver of anti-Falun Gong disinformation Newly obtained information from a source within the Chinese security apparatus named the head of China’s Ministry of State Security, Chen Yixin, as the official who is driving the latest global smear campaign against Falun Gong and Shen Yun Performing Arts. The source also stated that the regime’s agents are extremely professional and capable of planting misleading narratives aimed at discrediting Falun Gong into foreign news feeds. According to the source, Chen’s personal ambitions have been a key factor, so that he could use subduing Falun Gong overseas to “present his achievements to Xi Jinping and seek recognition and rewards.” According to the source: “The CCP’s attack on you Falun Gong is a systematic and complete plan. I believe you can also see this clearly. Every step of the way, there are public security and national security behind the manipulation of the conspiracy. It is operations like this, through those hidden agents, with the big foreign propaganda…that can make a mess of the situation. With a steady stream of material from State Security, it’s a big threat to you guys.” Read more → November 19, 2024 USA USA, November 19, 2024 DOJ announces sentencing of individual involved in IRS bribery scheme targeting Shen Yun John Chen, one of the two men involved in a bribery scheme attempting to strip the tax-exempt nonprofit status of Shen Yun Performing Arts, received a 20-month prison for acting as an unregistered agent of the CCP. From at least approximately January 2023 to May 2023, Chen and his partner, Mr. Lin Feng, conspired to pay a purported IRS official (who was actually an undercover FBI agent) $50,000 for opening an audit on Shen Yun. In addition to the prison term, the Southern District Court of New York, also sentenced Chen to three years of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit $50,000.December 6, 2024 Canada Sweden Canada SwedenDecember 6, 2024 Fake emails sent to Canadian and Swedish parliamentarians claim to be from ex-Shen Yun dancers and smears the company In early December 2024, a Canadian parliamentarian who has been publicly supportive of Shen Yun Performing Arts received a suspicious email. The email sender claimed to be a former Shen Yun dancer, shared links to recent misleading reports in the New York Times, and relayed alleged accounts of overwork and trauma during their time with the company. The parliamentarian questioned the email’s authenticity and informed a local Falun Gong practitioner. That person checked with Shen Yun, which confirmed that there was no such performer by the name that was listed as the email’s signatory. On the same day, a Swedish parliamentarian who had also publicly praised Shen Yun received a nearly identical email smearing the company. This time, the email sender used a different name and email address. Again, Shen Yun confirmed there was no current or former performer by that name. The overlapping timing and language in the emails, both sent to lawmakers who had publicly spoken positively about Shen Yun, indicates coordination and that there may be additional parliamentarians who have received or will receive similar messages.In early January 2025, the Swedish parliamentarian received another fake email urging him to withdraw support for Shen Yun. The email referenced the December 6 message and the lack of response, but used a different email address and signed with a different name, increasing the suspicious nature of the communication. The email author took advantage of three articles published by the New York Times in December that attacked Shen Yun and Falun Gong with misleading claims, referencing them in the latest message.December 11, 2024 Georgia California Georgia, CaliforniaDecember 11, 2024 Mass shooting threats to Shen Yun performances in Atlanta and San Jose ahead of upcoming shows On the morning of December 11, 2024, an email containing a death threat was sent to the Atlanta Falun Dafa Association, which is the local presenter for Shen Yun performances at the Atlanta Symphony Hall during the upcoming Christmas week. The email sender claimed in Chinese that they would “go to the Atlanta Symphony Hall and shoot at all people there if the Hall hosts Shen Yun performances!” The email was accompanied by an image of a pistol and many bullets.Half an hour later, the same sender sent a nearly identical email to the ticketing service for the San Francisco Bay Area, which sells tickets for Shen Yun performances at the San Jose Performing Arts Center. The FBI and local police were notified of both incidents. Since March 2024, there has been an increase in threats of violence targeting Shen Yun shows and its performers, part of a broader campaign by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its proxies to sabotage the dance company. In all prior cases, anonymous threats were confirmed to be false and no violence occurred. Screenshot of email threat sent to ticketing service of theater in San FranciscoDecember 11, 2024 China China, December 11, 2024 Internal Chinese source leaks details from Minister of Public Security video conference on next steps to target Falun Gong in the United States On December 11, a group of overseas researchers tracking the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) repression of Falun Gong practitioners published new information from internal CCP sources. The leaks contain notes from a recent video conference that was chaired by Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong. They outline emerging plans and tactics in carrying forward an intensified campaign targeting Falun Gong overseas and especially in the United States, with the explicit goal being to “sabotage the relationship between Falun Gong and the United States” and pressure U.S. government agencies to “stop supporting Falun Gong.” Tactics cited include calls to activate agents within the Falun Gong community to either speak publicly against Falun Gong or convince existing practitioners to ‘break with Falun Gong” and then speak publicly to expose alleged “dark secrets” of Falun Gong. The notes make several references to providing “donations” or financial assistance to those aiding the CCP, including to Falun Gong practitioners who “convert” and speak out against the Falun Gong community. Read more → December 19, 2024 California California, December 19, 2024 California Man arrested for acting as illegal Chinese agent also targeted Falun Gong Yaoning “Mike” Sun was indicted in California for acting as an illegal agent of the PRC. While some of the charges against him focus on his role trying to influence local politics and elections in Southern California, the indictment also includes multiple references to Sun’s work to “fight” against Falun Gong practitioners and stymie their public activities. Sun worked closely John Chen, who was sentenced to prison in November for trying to bribe an IRS official into revoking Shen Yun’s non-profit tax-exempt status. According to the criminal complaint filed on December 17, 2024, Chen reportedly told a cellmate that he had been serving as a Chinese agent in the United States for two decades, working for the CCP’s “610 office,” an extralegal police task force responsible for carrying out the mission of eliminating Falun Gong. Over many years, the two men conspired and acted to combat “Falun Gong influences” in California, while receiving funding from Chinese officials (Chen bragged of receiving $52,000 per month from the “610 Office”) and maintaining contact with the local Chinese consulate.The Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office said in a press release: “This case highlights the breadth of the PRC’s relentless intelligence and malign influence activities targeting the United States. The FBI will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to identify PRC intelligence operations, disrupt PRC information laundering networks, and bring to justice those who seek to engage in criminal conspiracies to undermine the integrity of our elected officials.” December 26, 2024 New York New YorkDecember 26, 2024 Fake Bomb Threat Targeting Shen Yun’s Training Campus Sent to Falundafa.org On December 26, 2024, a bomb threat was submitted through the contact form on Falundafa.org, the main website where Falun Gong's teachings and exercise instruction videos are freely available. The email claimed that multiple explosives had been placed at Shen Yun’s training campus in Dragon Springs, New York. The sender demanded a ransom of $8 million within 24 hours, threatening to detonate the bombs if the demand was not met. The message was written in traditional Chinese, impersonating a Taiwanese individual from Taipei. The sender provided the name “Yu Xiurui,” a Taipei address, and a Taiwanese phone number, and used the email address editor@epochtimes.com in an apparent attempt to frame The Epoch Times. December 28, 2024 Connecticut ConnecticutDecember 28, 2024 Connecticut theater hosting Shen Yun receives bomb threat On the morning of December 28, 2024, the Palace Theater in downtown Waterbury, Connecticut, received a message via its contact form submission, claiming that bombs had been placed in the theater and threatening to detonate them if Shen Yun performances are not canceled. The law enforcement was notified and took appropriate precautions. The afternoon and evening performances proceeded without incident. "We have made some bombs ..., and ... placed them in certain corners of the theater. If you do not want us to detonate these bombs, please cancel the Shen Yun performance, expel the relevant personnel, and cancel your cooperation with Falun Dafa. If you insist on performing, we will detonate the bombs once the performance begins!" Copy of emails sent to the Palace Theater.December 31, 2024 Texas TexasDecember 31, 2024 Texas theater hosting Shen Yun receives bomb threat On the morning of December 31, 2024, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas, received an email threatening that bombs had been planted in specific areas of the theater. The email demanded the cancellation of all Shen Yun performances and used the same fake email address linked to similar threats targeting Shen Yun shows in Georgia and California earlier in the month. These incidents appear to be part of a coordinated effort.The Tobin Center had successfully hosted a Shen Yun performance the previous evening and was scheduled for another show that afternoon. Upon receiving the threat, the Center promptly notified the local presenter of Shen Yun, local law enforcement and the Office of the Texas Governor. The San Antonio Police Department dispatched officers to the scene and took other precautions.Despite the disruption, the afternoon performance proceeded as planned without incident, ensuring the safety of the audience and the performers. That matches a pattern evident since March 2024, whereby there has been an increase in threats of violence targeting Shen Yun shows and performers, but anonymous threats were ultimately false, and no violence occurred. Copy of emails sent to the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.January 10, 2025 California CaliforniaJanuary 10, 2025 California theater hosting Shen Yun receives bomb threat On Jan. 10, 2025, Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley, Calif., received an email threatening that bombs had been planted in specific areas of the theater on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The sender wrote in Chinese claiming that they would “detonate these bombs if the theater did not cancel Shen Yun performances, expel the relevant personnel, and cancel cooperation with Falun Dafa.” The email used the same fake email address linked to similar threats targeting Shen Yun shows in other theaters across the U.S. since December 2024. These incidents appear to be part of a coordinated effort. The FBI and local police were notified, and they took appropriate precautions.Despite the threats, Zellerbach Hall hosted the Shen Yun performances from Jan. 10 through 12 as planned without incident. This appears to match the pattern that has evolved since March 2024, whereby there has been an increase in threats of violence targeting Shen Yun shows and performers, but these anonymous threats were ultimately false, and no violence occurred.January 13, 2025 New York New YorkJanuary 13, 2025 Fake Bomb and Shooting Threat Targets Shen Yun’s Training Campus and Prominent Individuals Supporting Falun Gong On Jan. 13, 2025, an email containing threats of carrying out a shooting and detonating bombs was submitted through a contact form to Stoporganharvesting.org, a website that a nonprofit and volunteer-run organization launched to help raise awareness about the Chinese regime’s forced organ harvesting practices. The sender claimed in traditional Chinese that they had purchased multiple pistols and more than a hundred bullets, and that they would shoot Falun Gong practitioners and detonate high-energy bombs at Shen Yun’s training campus Dragon Springs in New York. In addition, the sender threatened to kill U.S. members of Congress, other elected representatives, and entertainment celebrities who voice support for Falun Gong. The sender also boasted that their "people" had visas from multiple countries, which would aid them in fleeing the United States after committing the shootings. The FBI and local police were notified and as of January 21, no violence had occurred.January 16, 2025 New York New YorkJanuary 16, 2025 Fake Bomb Threat, Ransom Demand Targets Shen Yun’s Training Campus On Jan. 16, 2025, a bomb threat was submitted through the contact form of Falundafa.org, the main website where Falun Gong's teachings and exercise instruction videos are available to download for free. The email, written in traditional Chinese, claimed that several explosives had been planted at the Shen Yun training campus Dragon Springs in New York, including in dormitories, tea rooms, and classrooms. The sender demanded a ransom of $10 million and threatened to detonate the bombs if the demand was not met by 3 p.m. on Jan. 17. The sender used the name "Ma Longgang" and the email address arlingtoncemetery.isb@army.mil. As in previous cases, the threat was reported to law enforcement, and no violence occurred. Chinese version: 事件追蹤: 跟踪中共最新針對法輪功、神韻的跨國打壓和虛假信息運動

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