A Falun Gong practitioner alleged that her group’s exhibits near the National Monument in Kuala Lumpur were removed last Friday by seven men identifying themselves as policemen from China.
The woman, who wished to be known only as Yong, told FMT she had set up the booth three months ago to raise awareness about Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China.
“I chased after them and asked for the items to be returned. One of them said, ‘We are policemen from China’. They ignored me and drove off,” she said.
Yong claimed the men left in a van with a local tour guide and driver.
Video clips she provided appeared to show several men carrying the exhibits into the van.
She said she felt threatened by what she described as foreign involvement in the incident, which she viewed as infringing upon her right to free speech and expression. Yong has since lodged a police report at Dang Wangi police station.
In May, then Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Isa said the arrest of over 70 Falun Gong members ahead of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s visit to Malaysia was lawful, as “Falun Gong is an illegal organisation” and thus not permitted to carry out activities.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, combines meditation with qigong exercises. It has been banned in China since 1999 but remains active in more than 100 countries. Its main text, Zhuan Falun, has been translated into over 50 languages.
