Assemblyman Balks at Letter From Chinese

A Bronx assemblyman's support of a Chinese New Year celebration linked to the dissident spiritual sect Falun Gong has drawn the ire of the China's government, which is strongly urging the lawmaker to boycott the show.

Last week, China's consulate general in New York sent a letter to Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, a Democrat of the South Bronx, condemning a pair of lavish dance and music variety shows taking place this month at the Beacon Theatre on Broadway.

"In the name of promoting the Chinese culture in the Lunar New Year, the so-called 'art-performance' is very deceitful, aimed actually at propagating at the cult and undermining China-US relations," the letter said. "It is our hope and belief that you would not support in any form the" shows.

The attempt at diplomatic suasion was less than successful.

Mr. Benjamin, who earlier this year drew national attention by opposing an effort by Long Island school districts to prohibit parents from bringing cupcakes to their children's birthday parties, is taking just as tough of a line with the Chinese.

"I found the letter to be deeply offensive and disrespectful," he wrote in a draft version of a letter he said he was planning to send to China's consul general, Liu Biwei. The assemblyman said he objected to the consulate's comparison of Falun Gong to American cults, which he wrote are more closely related to the "'Cult of Mao' that enabled your government to institute the Cultural Revolution where several hundred thousand teachers, village leaders, peasants, and intellectuals were imprisoned or executed."

"Please do not insult my intelligence," he added, saying he hoped China would evolve "into a true people's democracy."

The two shows, "Holiday Wonders" and "Chinese New Year Spectacular," are produced by a New York City-based satellite broadcaster, New Tang Dynasty Television, which is operated by a staff primarily composed of Falun Gong members.

The 6-year-old station, which broadcasts in mainland China and dozens of other countries, describes itself as an independent source of uncensored news about the Chinese government. "We don't shy away from reporting on human rights issues in China," a spokeswoman said. She called the letter to Mr. Benjamin a "disgrace."

The performances, which have been held in Washington, D.C., Tokyo, and Paris, involve hundreds of dancers who present mythical Chinese fables from various dynasties and cultures. The shows are also known to have an unmistakable political edge. One year featured a scene of a mother beaten by dancers dressed as Communist soldiers, according to one observer.

A 15-year-old movement involving meditation and exercises started by Li Hongzhi, a former grain clerk from northeastern China, Falun Gong claims more than 100 million followers worldwide.

Members of the sect accuse the Chinese government, which banned Falun Gong in 1999, of persecuting them and committing human rights violations, including harvesting and selling the organs of living followers.

Beijing denies such abuses and insists the movement is a dangerous cult akin to the Branch Davidians.

It's unclear if other state lawmakers received the same letter. In Albany, Mr. Benjamin has been a frequent defender of Falun Gong. He's sponsored a resolution condemning the Chinese government's treatment of members and formally introduced a group of practitioners on the Assembly floor.

While Chinese diplomatic officials in America have been vocal about their abhorrence of Falun Gong, that the consulate would issue such a direct appeal to a local elected official is surprising, according to a professor of Asian American studies at Hunter College, Peter Kwong.

"It's not a very good move to have consulate officers try to contact elected officials about something like this," he said. "I've never heard of it. It's unusual and tactless."

Mr. Kwong said it's "well established" that New Tang Dynasty TV is "part of Falun Gong activities."

"The often don't want to tell people they have such a relationship," he said. "They want a different profile."

Mr. Benjamin said he had not planned to attend the shows, but said he would stop by a reception beforehand. "They can only intimidate Chinese Americans who have families back home," he said.