Staff Writer

February 20, 2001

PASADENA - Chinese officials trying to squelch the spiritual movement known as Falun Gong lobbied vigorously to prevent the group's conference this past weekend at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, according to city officials.

Their efforts included firm suggestions that alluded to Pasadena's sister city relationship with west Beijing, according to a letter Mayor Bill Bogaard wrote to the City Council.

The Falun Gong Experience Sharing Conference drew more than 1,000 followers to the city-owned facility.

It also drew the attention of the Consulate General of The People's Republic of China in Los Angeles. The Chinese government banned Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, in 1999. China says the group is an [Chinese governments slanderous word].

The consulate's efforts to make the auditorium off-limits to Falun Gong, however, were unsuccessful.

"What I told them was, I was providing it, (Falun Gong) had contracted for the auditorium and we did not discriminate based on beliefs," General Manager Rick Barr said.

This isn't the first time Chinese officials have lobbied against such events in the area. Last year they tried stopping a workshop at Caltech and the consulate later complained to Alhambra after the heavily Asian city recognized Dec. 4-8 as "Falun Dafa Week."

A day after they called the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the consulate dropped off anti-Falun Gong pamphlets and a letter reiterating their request, Barr said.

[..]

Barr said the group seemed peaceful. Practitioners say it's simply a spiritual movement whose members are being persecuted by the Chinese government. Members at Sunday's conference distributed literature showing pictures of people who were allegedly beaten by the Chinese government.

"They're trying to create hatred among the local people," Falun Gong practitioner John Li said of Chinese officials. "The Chinese government, they don't show their respect for the law (in America)."

Falun Gong organizers wrote in December asking the city to issue a proclamation in support of the weekend event. City officials, aware of the Chinese government's stance and not wanting to get involved in international political issues, declined. The consulate's lobbying efforts, meanwhile, included an appeal to Pasadena's "sister city" relationship with west Beijing, Bogaard said.

Bogaard wrote fellow council members that "The Chinese consul general has called, making several firm suggestions relying on the relationship that exists between our city and China through our sister city agreement with the Xicheng district in Beijing."

He said in an interview, however, the Chinese consulate did not threaten the relationship.

"It was a friendly conversation," Bogaard said. "I explained that as long as the fees were paid we were required to make the space available."

City Councilman Paul Little said he interpreted the reference differently.

"Apparently, the Chinese government is trying to leverage our sister city relationship into fodder for their repression of religious practitioners in their country," said Little, one of three council members who voted against the sister city arrangement with China in 1998. He said he did so out of concern over China's human rights record.

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