Beijing [China], September 12 (ANI): The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) campaign of intimidation against Shen Yun Performing Arts and Falun Gong practitioners in the United States is not merely a cultural dispute, but a direct assault on American sovereignty, The Epoch Times reported, citing human rights scholar William L. Saunders's statement.

According to The Epoch Times, Saunders, director of the Centre for Human Rights at The Catholic University of America and chair emeritus of the Federalist Society's Religious Liberties Practice Group, said the CCP's operations on US soil go beyond influence peddling. 'It's very serious, because it violates the sovereignty of the United States for the Communist Party to harass people here,' he stated.

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts was established in 2006 by Falun Gong practitioners to revive traditional Chinese culture. Its performances have been targeted globally by Chinese authorities, with reports of pressure campaigns to block shows, intimidate performers, and threaten venues.

The crackdown is part of Beijing's wider campaign to silence Falun Gong, a spiritual practice rooted in the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, as highlighted by The Epoch Times.

Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, was introduced publicly in 1992 and quickly drew tens of millions of followers. By 1999, the CCP labelled its popularity a threat and launched a brutal persecution drive. Over the past two decades, practitioners have been subject to arbitrary arrest, torture, forced labour, and even allegations of forced organ harvesting.

Recent whistleblower revelations, reported by The Epoch Times, suggest that a 2022 directive from CCP leader Xi Jinping instructed political, intelligence, and propaganda officials to intensify efforts against Falun Gong worldwide. Since early 2024, incidents of harassment and intimidation toward Shen Yun and Falun Gong adherents have reportedly increased sharply.

Saunders said these actions illustrate the CCP's 'determined cruelty' and disregard for human rights, warning that the regime not only targets Chinese dissidents abroad but also pressures Chinese Americans by threatening their families back home.

By undermining cultural institutions and harassing individuals in the United States, Saunders argued, the CCP is trampling on both religious freedom and the values central to American democracy. This escalating campaign underscores the need for U.S. authorities to recognise such interference as a direct challenge to national sovereignty, as cited by The Epoch Times. (ANI)