“They said they can make me disappear,” NEW YORK—In New York’s Chinese communities people are wary of each other, afraid of honestly voicing their opinions. They know that what they say and do is being watched by individuals loyal to Beijing, and there are consequences for stepping out of line. “They said they can make me disappear,” said Judy Chen, 55, recalling an encounter in New York with what she believes were Chinese agents. Chen moved to the United States from Taiwan in 1981. Although she’s not from mainland China, she said that living in New York’s Chinese community in Flushing, Queens, puts her under the watchful eye of the Chinese regime. “It’s very common knowledge,” Chen said. “If you speak about the Chinese Communist Party, even among co-workers, they’ll tell you to watch what you say.” She added, casually, that Chinese residents in New York will sometimes report people to the Chinese Embassy if they make comments critical of the Chinese regime. People like Chen are on the other end of the system. She practices Falun Gong, an ancient Chinese spiritual discipline in the Buddhist tradition based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The Chinese Communist Party began persecuting Falun Gong in 1999. Talking about her beliefs or China’s human rights abuses often comes with a cost, and someone from the mainland who is identified as practicing Falun Gong may pay a steep price. theepochtimes/n3/790894-chinese-expats-monitored-harassed-in-nyc/?photo=2
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:22:16 +0000