Minorities in China
Religious Minorities
“Citizens of China may freely choose
and express their religious beliefs,
and make clear their religious
affiliations”
and express their religious beliefs,
and make clear their religious
affiliations”
However, some Groups such as Buddhist Tibetans, unregistered Christians, and groups that the party brands as cults are still persecuted and repressed. E.g. Falun Gong practitioners are subjected to reeducation through labor camps, and extrajudicial "legal education centers."
Falun Gong Case: Spiritual practice founded by Mr. Li Hongzhi in 1992 moral philosophy: Truth Compassion, and Tolerance slow-moving exercises and meditation number of practitioners between 70 to 100 million outnumbering the members of the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
Official Reasons:
The Communist Party issued a letter expressing alarm at Falun Gong’s popularity, and in particular, its popularity among Communist Party members.
The Communist Party issued a letter expressing alarm at Falun Gong’s popularity, and in particular, its popularity among Communist Party members.
In-official Reasons:
Falun Gong’s popularity, its independence from the state and refusal to toe the Party line, and Falun Gong’s moral and spiritual content, which put it at odds with the officially Marxist-Leninist ideology.
Falun Gong’s popularity, its independence from the state and refusal to toe the Party line, and Falun Gong’s moral and spiritual content, which put it at odds with the officially Marxist-Leninist ideology.
The Political Programm:
large-scale propaganda through television, newspaper, radio and internet systematic torture, illegal imprisonment, forced labor, and psychiatric abuses,
large-scale propaganda through television, newspaper, radio and internet systematic torture, illegal imprisonment, forced labor, and psychiatric abuses,
40–60% Non-Religious
18–20% Folk Religion/Taoists
14–15% Atheists
4–5% Christianity
1–2% Muslims
20–30% Others (Judaism, Hinduism, etc.)
18–20% Folk Religion/Taoists
14–15% Atheists
4–5% Christianity
1–2% Muslims
20–30% Others (Judaism, Hinduism, etc.)
“China is officially an
atheist state with one
of the lowest percentages
in the world of
people who consider
themselves religious”
atheist state with one
of the lowest percentages
in the world of
people who consider
themselves religious”
Ethnic Minorities: Han Chinese constitutes about 92% of the population of the PRC. As of 2010, the combined population of officially recognized minority groups comprised 8.49%. 13 million of them still lived in conditions of extreme poverty
Unrecognized ethnic Groups: groups that have not been officially recognized or classified by the central government. (such as jewish, Tuvan, Oirat or Ili Turki) The group numbers more than 730,000 would constitute the twentieth most populous ethnic group of China if taken as a single group.-
Unrecognized ethnic Groups: groups that have not been officially recognized or classified by the central government. (such as jewish, Tuvan, Oirat or Ili Turki) The group numbers more than 730,000 would constitute the twentieth most populous ethnic group of China if taken as a single group.-
In April 1999 an „highly offensive article“ against Falun Gong appeared in a main chinease newspaper which led fang gong practioners to protests outside the editorial office of the publication in Tianjin. Three hundred riot police were sent to disperse the crowd by the Ministry of
Public Security. Some of the practitioners were beaten, and forty-five arrested.On 25 April, ten to twenty thousand Falun Gong practitioners peaceful and silent protest to request the release of the Tianjin practitioners and an end to the escalating harassment against them.On the night of April 25, 1999, then-Communist Party chairman Jiang Zemin issued a letter indicating his desire to see Falun Gong defeated. The letter expressed alarm at Falun Gong’s popularity, and in particular, its popularity among Communist Party members.These include Falun Gong’s popularity, its independence from the state and refusal to toe the Party line, internal power politics within the Communist Party, and Falun Gong’s moral and spiritual content, which put it at odds with the officially Marxist–Leninist atheist ideology