The China Interim Government (CIG) issued an official announcement on July 8 following the deportation of a male Chinese Falun Gong practitioner, surnamed Wu, who was deported on July 1. He arrived in South Korea in May 2002 for educational purposes and learned Falun Gong while in the Republic of Korea.
According to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the CIG, they are aware that the Korean Falun Gong practitioner was deported based on “pressure from Chinese Communist regime.” The formal letter also stated that it was a “shame for the Korean Government deporting a Falun Gong practitioner to China while Korea condemns China for deporting North Korean refugees … [and] should stand on the side of justice but not act to be the victim under the fall of Chinese Communist regime.”
Wu applied for refugee protection after his study-related visa expired because he was concerned that he would be persecuted for his beliefs upon his return to China. However, his application was rejected by the Korean Government, and the Ministry of Justice, Immigration Bureau (MOJ) deported him secretly. Currently, Wu's situation is unclear.
A Korean media representative who did not want to be identified told The Epoch Times that the deportation could be related to the recent visit of the 7th ranked member of the Politburo Standing Committee Li Changchun and often referred to as the ‘Chief of Propaganda.’ He was sued in France at the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris for being an accomplice to torture in the persecution of Falun Gong and actively assisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), headed by Jiang Zemin, in persecuting Falun Gong. He went to South Korea for a four-day visit on April 4, 2009.
Although the South Korean Supreme Court has acknowledged that Falun Gong has been persecuted in China, the South Korean MOJ rejected many Falun Gong practitioners' refugee applications after Li's visit.
Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Zhao, who is also applying for refugee status in Seoul, told The Epoch Times, “I feel the deportation is very sudden and unbelievable. As a practitioner and a refugee applicant, I know deep down in my heart what a practitioner will be facing after deportation!
“Just a few days before the MOJ rejected the Falun Gong practitioners' refugee applications, many Chinese came to the Quit the CCP Service Centre and threatened the volunteers who are Falun Gong practitioners, saying, ‘The Korean Government will take action soon. You will be deported back to China in a few days.’ I wonder how those Chinese knew this information,” Zhao said.
The South Korean Falun Dafa Association announced that currently 11 members of parliament and 127 local council members have endorsed a motion brought up by the Association that urges the MOJ not to forcefully deport Falun Gong refugee applicants due to the severe persecution being carried out by the Chinese regime. The local council endorsed the motion.
In the last three months, over 60 Falun Gong refugee applications have been rejected, including victims who had been tortured in China and many who have been under heavy surveillance from Chinese police.
The China Interim Government was established on December 5, 2007 by "Future China Forum" and Chinese dissident groups from around the world who are expecting the impending collapse of communist rule in mainland China, and who wish to be ready to facilitate a peaceful transition to democracy when that moment comes.
Among its current advisors are former high-ranking members of the Chinese Government and military, members of the Chinese democracy movement and other dissident groups. While most are living in exile in North America, Europe, Australia, and other regions of Asia, some remain in the mainland.
