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China: Chan Mi Gong; whether it is related to Tai Chi; whether it is illegal to practise in China

Chan Mi Gong is a Buddhist qigong (Amazon.com n.d.; Falun Dafa Association of Canada 20 Feb. 2008). A qigong is a Chinese exercise system (US 14 Sept. 2007, Sec. 1;, NQA n.d.), which involves a "posture (whether moving or stationary), breathing techniques and mental focus" (ibid.). There are reportedly "hundreds if not thousands" of variations of qigong in China (Falun Dafa Association of Canada 20 Feb. 2008; The State Journal-Register 3 Dec. 2007).

Chan Mi Gong is based on Zen (Chan) and Tantric (Mi) Buddhism (Falun Dafa Association of Canada 20 Feb. 2008; Amazon.com n.d.). A description of a Chan Mi Gong video tape posted on Amazon.com states that the qigong is known for its "rhythmic undulating wave type motions that ripple throughout the body" and that it especially focuses on the rolling of the spine (ibid.). In 27 February 2008 correspondence, an adjunct professor of anthropology and religious studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who is an author of a book on qigong systems indicated that in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Chan Mi Gong was "widely practiced" and was considered among the ten most popular forms of qigong. However, the Adjunct Professor noted that to the best of his knowledge, the qigong no longer has the same popularity (27 Feb. 2008).

According to a 1999 article in The Straits Times, in 1988, prior to the establishment of Falun Gong, the movement's founder Li Hongzhi studied Chan Mi Gong (The Straits Times 8 Aug. 1999; Adjunct Professor 27 Feb. 2008). He reportedly created Falun Gong using a combination of Chan Mi Gong, a second qigong called Jiugongbaguagong and some Thai dance movements (The Straits Times 8 Aug. 1999). However, in 20 February 2008 correspondence, a representative of the Falun Dafa Association of Canada indicated that she was unaware of a relation between Falun Gong and Chan Mi Gong.

Whether Chan Mi Gong is related to Tai Chi

In her correspondence to the Research Directorate, the Representative of the Falun Dafa Association of Canada indicated that, because Chan Mi Gong literally means "Zen" and "Tantric" Buddhism, it is unlikely that it is has any relation to Tai Chi, which is a martial art that was created by a Taoist Master (20 Feb. 2008). Nevertheless, two news sources indicate that qigong and Tai Chi exercises are similar in that they are slow-moving and promote relaxation (The Orange County Register 10 Aug. 2007; Reuters 31 Aug. 2007). In 27 February 2008 correspondence, the Adjunct Professor wrote that he was not aware of a link between Chan Mi Gong and Tai Chi "except that all qigong methods are related to Tai Chi in that they are based on the same cosmology and principles of qi [life force or vital energy (NQA n.d.)] circulation" (Adjunct Professor 27 Feb. 2008).

Whether it is illegal to practise Chan Mi Gong

The International Religious Freedom Report 2007 indicates that in China, it is illegal to be a member of certain qigong groups, such as Falun Gong, Xiang Gong, Guo Gong and Zhong Gong (US 14 Sept. 2007, Sec. 2). Whether it is illegal to practise Chan Mi Gong in China is not mentioned in the report (ibid.).

In 21 February 2008 correspondence, the Representative of the Falun Dafa Association of Canada stated that "there are many Chinese websites ... in China [that] still publish Chan Mi Gong information" and that this is an "indication that [Chan Mi Gong] is not banned in China." Information corroborating this statement could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

In correspondence to the Research Directorate, the Adjunct Professor of Anthropology and Religious Studies indicated that he did not know whether it was illegal to practise Chan Mi Gong in China and that information on which qigong groups are banned in the country is not publicly available (27 Feb. 2008). However, the Adjunct Professor provided the following information concerning the process by which qigong groups are designated as illegal in China and the plausibility of Chan Mi Gong being banned in the country:

When Falun Gong was banned in 1999, many similar qigong groups were also subjected to the government's anti-cult campaign. Instead of publicly disbanding these groups, the government began to centralize all authorized qigong practice under the sports authorities and issued regulations stripping qigong groups of their autonomy.

Today in China, you can practice qigong in the parks as an individual, but independent, autonomous qigong groups cannot legally study and practice their qigong methods together in the parks. Now there are only 5 sets of exercises one can do in the parks, led by qigong trainers who have been certified by the sports administration. Thus, although qigong is not banned as a practice, most of the autonomous qigong groups have been explicitly or implicitly banned.

Unsurprisingly, few events are recorded after 1999; in the atmosphere of the post- Falun Gong crackdown, like other qigong groups, Chan Mi Gong would have taken a low profile, and most, if not all, public activities would have stopped.

Because many qigong groups closely resemble Falun Gong, there has been a cloud of suspicion covering all qigong groups. From what I have learned about Chan Mi Gong, it looks like, at least superficially, that it has many elements in common with Falun Gong. Thus, because of this resemblance between Falun Gong and other qigong groups like Chan Mi Gong, it is inevitable that they would be suspected of being "Falun Gong-style groups," that is, that they would someday start opposing the government in the way Falun Gong did.

It is extremely difficult to know exactly which groups have been banned or labeled evil cults. The central government in Beijing issues the national policies calling for the eradication of all evil cults. It is then up to the local Public Security Bureaus to implement these policies by determining which groups in a locality to designate as evil cults. When the central Public Security Bureau urges local offices to implement its anti-cult policies, it is likely that local offices would scramble to designate groups as evil cults. Declaring a group like Chan Mi Gong a cult would be a way for the local Public Security Bureau to show its superiors that they've been active in stamping out evil cults. Thus, it's entirely plausible that the local Public Security Bureau would have targeted it when it needed to give results in nationwide anti-cult campaigns.

In addition, if some members of the community denounce a group as an evil cult at a time that local Public Security Bureau offices need to show the central government that they have been actively quelling evil cults, this denunciation can provide the local office the target it has been looking for. Thus, it is quite plausible that if the local office received letters denouncing Chan Mi Gong, this may have caught their attention and prompted them to label Chan Mi Gong an evil cult. (Adjunct Professor 27 Feb. 2008)

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Adjunct Professor of Anthropology and Religious Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong and Research Fellow at the Ecole Française d'Extrême-Orient. 27 February 2008. Correspondence.

Amazon.com. N.d. "Chan Mi Gong Qigong (1962): Product Details." <http://www.amazon.com/Chan-Gong-Qigong-Penny-Santon/dp/0966895509> [Accessed 21 Feb. 2008]

Falun Dafa Association of Canada. 21 February 2008. Correspondence from a representative.
_____. 20 February 2008. Correspondence from a representative.

National Qigong Association (NQA). N.d. "What is Qigong?" <http://www.nqa.org/qigong.html> [Accessed 11 Feb. 2008]

The Orange County Register [Santa Ana, California]. 10 August 2007. "Going the Distance with Qigong." (Factiva)

Reuters. 31 August 2007. "Tai Chi May Boost Immune Response To Flu Shot." (Factiva)

The State Journal-Register [Springfield, Illinois]. 3 December 2007. Terry Bibo. "Chinese Healing Practice For the Open-Minded." (Factiva)

The Straits Times [Singapore]. 8 August 1999. "Is Man At Centre of Controversy a CIA Spy?" (Factiva)

United States (US). 14 September 2007. Department of State. "China (Includes Tibet, Hong Kong, and Macau)." International Religious Freedom Report 2007. <http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90133.htm> [Accessed 11 Feb. 2008]

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International (AI), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net), Human Rights in China (HRIC), Human Rights Watch (HRW), United Kingdom Home Office, United States Congressional Executive Commission on China (CECC).