One year ago, Falun Gong made an eerie debut on the international stage. On April 25, 10,000 of the group's followers surrounded the Beijing compound where China's leaders live and stood silently to protest a government campaign against them. That show of force -- in particular, the group's ability to mobilize so many people so quietly -- unnerved the government even more. A crackdown and a ban followed. It has not broken the spirit of the group's adherents. It has underscored the confusion and concern felt by the Chinese leadership. The government in Beijing has been forced to take action because its legitimacy is crumbling. But bringing the power of the state to bear against Falun Gong treats the symptoms, not the disease. If the Chinese government does not fill the void at the core of the society, worse will follow.
Falun Gong blends Taoist teachings, conservative moral principles and Buddhist meditative practices. The group's members -- estimated to be in the tens of millions in China, but there are many chapters worldwide -- used to be seen most mornings practicing their breathing and exercises.
After last year's protest, the Chinese government came down hard against the group, claiming that it is an "evil cult," headed by a fraud whose teachings have caused the deaths of over 1,500 followers. Human-rights groups claim that over 35,000 people have been detained since then, 5,000 more have been sent to labor camps without trial and at least 16 have died in custody as a result of abuse or hunger strikes.