Who's afraid of Shen Yun?

January 28, 2010

On January 27, 2010, the Shen Yun Performing Arts group held a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington DC, regarding the refusal of Hong Kong authorities to allow members of their pro-human rights Chinese cultural show to perform in Hong Kong.   Days before the Shen Yun Performing Arts was scheduled to perform in Hong Kong, visas for their production staff were denied, preventing their production staff with specialized knowledge of how to manage the Shen Yun performance and choreography from entering Hong Kong.  The result of the visa denial was the cancellation of sold-out shows of the Shen Yun performances, affecting 7,700 ticketed audience members.

Shen Yun Performing Arts is a U.S.-based non-profit organization that provides performances of traditional and regional Chinese dance, music, and culture, including recounting both traditional and modern stories of life in China. In addition, its performances includes discussions of values of truth, compassion, and tolerance, Buddhist religion, and Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) practices.  These modern stories told in dance and music, also include references to oppression of the Falun Dafa in Communist China.

Banner of Shen Yun Performing Arts 2010 World Tour

Questions were raised as to whether Hong Kong’s stated political environment of “one country, two systems” was being eroded by the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to pressure Hong Kong immigration authorities from preventing Shen Yun Chinese cultural show from being performed in Hong Kong.  Within Communist China, the city of Hong Kong has in the past been an island where free expression was allowed in the vast totalitarian Communist-ruled nation.  However, with the recent efforts to stymie the Shen Yun show from performing in Hong Kong, some believe that things may be changing in Hong Kong.

Washington DC: Shen Yun Press Conference at National Press Club (Photo: Epoch Times)

The panel of artists and production staff on Shen Yun Performing Arts each told stories of how their efforts in preparing to share traditional Chinese cultural dance, stories, and values in their planned show in Hong Kong.  The Shen Yun Performing Arts held shows at the Washington DC’s Kennedy Center in recent weeks that were enjoyed by an audience of many thousands of Washingtonians, and was listed among the “Top 10″ entertainment choices in a local Washington DC magazine.

Shen Yun submitted their visa application on October 13, 2009 for the January 27, 2010 performance, and was told of the visa denial on January 20, just days before the performance was to start.  On January 21, U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis contacted the Hong Kong immigration authorities on behalf of the Shen Yun Performing Arts group. The Hong Kong immigration authorities claimed that the visa denial was to demand that Shen Yun hire a “local production staff” when it is standard for major performances to bring their trained production staff with them to performances, a problem that Shen Yun has not had in performing in over 100 locations around the world in Europe, Asia, and the United States.  Shen Yun Production Manager Gregory Xu explained how knowledge of the specific choreography and aspects of the performance were essential to such a major production, stating that even when Shen Yun submitted supplementary documents explaining the need for such production staff, the Hong Kong authorities ignored their request.  Mr. Xu concluded in frustration that “I can see the black hand of the Communists behind this.”

Panel at Shen Yun Press Conference (Photo: Epoch Times)

Shen Yun performer Cindy Liu spoke as to how shocked she was at the Hong Kong immigration authorities decision.  She expressed how the Shen Yun cultural performance was designed to revive the Chinese culture which has been damaged by the Communist Chinese Party.  Ms. Liu said that one of the goals of the Shen Yun shows were to bring back such traditional Chinese culture of dance, stories, and values back to the Chinese people.  She expressed her concern about the apparent change in tone regarding freedom in Hong Kong, stating that “the freedom in Hong Kong is getting less and less.”  ” If principles such as truth, compassion, and tolerance can be blocked, what else can be blocked?”

Shen Yun danger Hoiwa Lee, a native of Hong Kong, spoke of the disappointment among those she had spoke to in Hong Kong.  She had looked forward to performing for forty of her family and friends.  She had received an email from one friend who was “very shocked that this could happen in Hong Kong.”

Hong Kong Native Hoiwa Lee Says that Hong Kong Residents Are “Very Shocked That This Could Happen in Hong Kong”

Shen Yun Company Manager and Choreographer Vina Lee stated that she grew up in China and says that you can’t see any traditional Chinese cultural dance and performances there.  Ms. Lee stated that the performers were shocked by the Hong Kong immigration authorities’ decision. But she remained optimistic that Shen Yun will perform in Hong Kong and Communist China mainland someday, stating “We want to bring Chinese culture — truth, compassion and beauty – back to China.”  Vina Lee also pointed out that the Communist Chinese government had previously attempted to disrupt Shen Yun performances in other places, recounting an attempt to influence government officials in Australia.

Vina Lee : “We want to bring Chinese culture — truth, compassion and beauty – back to China.” (Photo: Epoch Times)

Leeshai Lemish, the emcee of the Shen Yun Performing Arts, spoke of the importance of the Shen Yun show in helping to preserve traditional Chinese culture.  He said that Shen Yun communicated such culture and values through its dance and music, and that the denial of the Hong Kong visa was a “threat to artistic freedom.”     Mr. Lemish stated that such Chinese culture has been destroyed to a large extent by the Chinese Communist Party, first by the Communist “Cultural Revolution” designed to undermine such culture, and then over the years of preventing the Chinese people from celebrating such culture.  A U.S.-Israeli citizen, Mr. Lemish has a college degree in Asian Studies, and spent extended periods conducting research in Asia, and has served as the emcee of the Shen Yun shows since 2006 around the world.  In November 2001, Mr. Lemish was put in jail in Communist China for joining activists in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square for a sit-in meditation underneath a banner with the Falun Dafa principles of “Truth, Compassion, Tolerance.”

Mr. Lemish spoke of other harassment and intimidation tactics regarding Shen Yun performances  by the Communist Chinese government in cities throughout the United States, and in locations around the world, which he has documented on a web site, including performances throughout Europe, Canada, Russia, Australia, Malaysia, Korea, and the United States (New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Arkansas, Florida).   Regarding a recent Shen Yun tour in Canada, Mr. Lemish also spoke of a recent attack on a Shen Yun show’s bus, where the front tire had been cut in a way, not so that it would go flat, but so that it would burst on the highway while en route.

Leeshai Lemish Speaks of “Threat to Artistic Freedom” in Blocking Shen Yun’s Show on Traditional Cultural Dance , Music, and Values (Photo: Epoch Times)

Washington DC’s Shen Yun dancer Leon Chao urged the American people to pay attention to acts by the Hong Kong immigration authorities to effectively block the performance of the Shen Yun show; Leon Chao is a principal dancer in the show.  Mr. Chao stated that the Hong Kong show is a “very important first step” in ultimately Shen Yun performing in mainland China to allow the Chinese people to see the traditional Chinese culture and values incorporated in the dance and music by Shen Yun Performing Arts.  It was because this show is so important to the Chinese people, that the Shen Yun performers had been rehearsing for many months, he stated.  Leon Chao urged the Hong Kong authorities to give the Shen Yun Performing Arts a chance to perform in Hong Kong as soon as possible.

As a fellow American concerned about the ability to suppress an artistic message of tolerance, compassion, and truth, Leon Chao urged the American people “to take a stand and not take our freedoms for granted.”

Washington DC’s Leon Chao to Americans: “I ask Americans to take a stand and not take our freedoms for granted”

After the press conference at the National Press Club, there was a follow-up press conference on Capitol Hill at the House Cannon Office Building in the afternoon, which was attended by Congressman Joseph Cao and Gus Bilirakis.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) urges Americans to contact their government officials to urge them to ask the Hong Kong authorities to change their decision on banning Shen Yun show staff from traveling to Hong Kong so that they can provide their Chinese cultural show to the Chinese people.

We note that the Voice of America is reporting on protests by the Hong Kong people regarding the decision of the Hong Kong immigration authorities preventing the Shen Yun show.  Americans and those people who support freedom around the world should support the efforts of the Hong Kong protesters and those who seek truth, tolerance, and compassion around the world.

We believe that Love Wins.

Chinese Cultural Performing Arts Urges Americans to “Take a Stand” on Human Rights