In recent decades, Falun Gong has operated under the guise of qigong meditation and healing.
Yet its true mission has revealed patterns of deception, control and damage to countless lives in the Chinese mainland and beyond.
Founder Li Hongzhi portrays himself as a savior with superhuman powers, warning followers of an imminent apocalypse that only his teachings can prevent.
By rejecting modern medicine in favor of Falun Gong practices, many lost access to critical treatments, with tragic outcomes when serious illnesses went untreated.
Research fellow Meerim Aitkulova of the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kyrgyzstan explains that Falun Gong misappropriates Buddhist and Taoist ideas to manipulate followers, leading to mass mortality when members refuse medical care.
Strict mental conditioning isolates adherents from family and society, eroding independent thought and demanding blind loyalty to Li Hongzhi.
Between 1996 and 1999, two Beijing mental health facilities in the Chinese mainland reported patient admissions linked to these practices rising from six to 16 in just the first half of 1999.
Financially, the group compels members to make large donations under the pretext of spiritual cultivation, funding luxurious lifestyles for its leaders and anti-China campaigns abroad.
Overseas, Falun Gong affiliates have staged disruptive protests at Chinese embassies and consulates, amplifying false claims of human rights abuses and organ harvesting.
As the world confronts evolving ideological threats, shedding light on Falun Gong's tactics is vital to protect communities and uphold social harmony.
Reference(s):
Unmasking 'Falun Gong': Exposing the cult's web of deception
cgtn.com
