China's Policies Toward Spiritual Movements

The Congressional-Executive Commission on China will hold a roundtable discussion on “China's Policies Toward Spiritual Movements.”

Senator Byron Dorgan, Chairman and Representative Sander Levin, Cochairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China invite you to a roundtable discussion on “China's Policies Toward Spiritual Movements.”

At this CECC Roundtable, panelists will examine the Chinese government's policies toward spiritual movements and the factors that drive its treatment of members of spiritual groups. The Chinese government has allowed space for some spiritual movements to operate in China, but has banned other groups, such as Falun Gong. Authorities have subjected members of Falun Gong and other banned groups to strict surveillance, and in some cases, imprisonment, detention outside the legal system, and other abuses. Why does the Chinese government consider some spiritual movements a threat? What challenges and prospects do Falun Gong practitioners face in China that adherents of other groups do not? What does the Chinese government's treatment of spiritual movements mean for the future of religious freedom in China?

Panelists:

James Tong, Professor, UCLA Department of Political Science
Ethan Gutmann, Adjunct Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Mark Shan, Program in Philosophy, Theology and Ethics, Boston University

CECC Roundtables are open to the public. No RSVP is necessary.

Click here to download a copy of the Commission's full 2009 Annual Report.

Visit the Commission's Web site at www.cecc.gov for analysis of recent developments and other resources related to the development of the rule of law and human rights in China.