US Expert: CCP Randomly Labels "Cult" to Facilitate Suppression

On the 26th anniversary of Falun Gong's anti-persecution, on July 17, 2025, some Falun Gong practitioners and supporters from the eastern United States held a grand parade in Washington DC, calling for "Disband the CCP, Stop Persecuting Falun Gong." (Dai Bing/Dajiyuan)  

[People News] The Falun Dafa Information Center stated in a testimony submitted to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) this October that the CCP, through false information propaganda and legal warfare, aims to "eliminate Falun Gong globally," including launching a demonization campaign by labeling it a "cult."  
According to a report by Dajiyuan reporter Xia Li, Piero Tozzi, Deputy Staff Director and lawyer of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), told Dajiyuan on October 28 that the CCP labels Falun Gong as a cult to facilitate its suppression of Falun Gong.  

For 26 years, the CCP has been demonizing Falun Gong  

Labeling Falun Gong as a so-called "cult" began with Jiang Zemin.  

On July 20, 1999, then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin, out of jealousy and fear that the number of Falun Gong practitioners exceeded CCP members, mobilized the entire state apparatus to launch persecution against the Falun Gong group that believes in "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." In an interview with France's Le Figaro on October 25 of the same year, Jiang Zemin falsely claimed that "Falun Gong is a cult."  

To further plant hatred against Falun Gong in the hearts of Chinese people, the CCP fabricated the Tiananmen self-immolation hoax. This case is full of loopholes and is recognized internationally as the CCP's century-old frame-up against Falun Gong.  
The "self-immolator" Wang Jindong: CCP official media provided three different versions of photos:  

Wang Jindong's sitting posture and hand gestures are not Falun Gong movements. Analysis suggests his sitting posture is the standard cross-legged posture of Chinese soldiers.  

For 26 years, the CCP has treated Falun Gong as a so-called "cult" for suppression.  

On October 16 this year, the Falun Dafa Information Center wrote in its latest report submitted to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom: "Falun Gong has once again become a key target of (CCP) security agencies."  

"Since late 2022, multiple third-party sources report that CCP leadership, including Xi Jinping, has expressed frustration over the failure to completely suppress Falun Gong—especially overseas. According to The Diplomat, Xi ordered the Ministry of State Security to execute a multi-department plan to 'eliminate Falun Gong globally' through disinformation propaganda and legal warfare, with particular actions targeting the United States."  

"This priority action is not only reflected in security agencies' detentions and suppression but also extends to public demonization propaganda and opinion campaigns."  

In April 2023, the Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Education jointly launched a so-called "campus anti-cult warning education" campaign. In Shandong, authorities noted that 174 primary and secondary schools participated.  

The campaign also entered universities and transportation systems. For example:  

On October 23, 2025, the Gansu Provincial Political and Legal Affairs Commission held a provincial anti-cult warning propaganda "entering universities" concentrated performance at Lanzhou Jiaotong University.  

On October 31, 2025, Minghui.net reported that recently, Wuhan trams have been repeatedly playing videos from "Anti-Cult Net," involving attacks and smears against Falun Gong.  

At the same time, an organization under the CCP's Political and Legal Affairs Commission launched a nationwide disinformation campaign, gamifying public condemnation (stigmatization) of Falun Gong through interactive petitions embedded in Tencent's widely used WeChat platform. Official websites in 30 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions across China publicly participated in the activity, with the People's Liberation Army Daily claiming tens of millions of signatures.  

CCP authorities have also expanded bounty programs, incentivizing citizens with money to report Falun Gong practitioners. For example, in 2022, Ningxia regulations offered rewards up to 50,000 RMB (about $6,900 USD), with similar programs in other regions like Jilin Province. These measures show the CCP investing massive state resources to suppress Falun Gong.  

CECC Deputy Staff Director: Cult Label is CCP's Convenient Stick for Suppression  

On July 17, 2025, Piero Tozzi, then-Staff Director of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), attended a large rally marking the 26th anniversary of Falun Gong's anti-persecution held at the National Mall near Capitol Hill in Washington. (Samira Bouaou/Dajiyuan)  

Piero Tozzi, Deputy Staff Director of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), told Dajiyuan, "I think labeling (cult) is just a 'convenient stick' the CCP uses to suppress dissenters."  

He said, "This label is very convenient for them. The CCP wants everyone to comply with Marxism-Leninism and Xi Jinping Thought. Anyone who thinks independently or pursues independent faith becomes a target of (CCP) persecution."  

"At the beginning of the persecution (of Falun Gong), led by Jiang Zemin, part of it was for political purposes—Jiang Zemin wanted to consolidate his power. But another part was the CCP's fear of religious faith movements it cannot control. That's why they used the 'cult' label."  

In August 2017, the Washington think tank Freedom House released a report on religious freedom in China titled "The Battle for China’s Spirit." The report pointed out that Falun Gong has no cult characteristics.  

The report cited scholars' views: renowned scholar of Chinese religion David Ownby noted, "'Labeling Falun Gong as a so-called cult from the beginning was to mislead; CCP authorities cunningly used this rhetoric to erase Falun Gong's appeal and the group's effectiveness outside China.'"  

Tozzi further stated that the CCP brutally persecutes Falun Gong out of fear.  

He said, "(The CCP) is a totalitarian regime. Precisely because it is totalitarian, anything it cannot control scares it. Falun Gong has its own independent faith system and network in China. I think that's one reason the CCP tries to destroy it (Falun Gong)."  
"(The CCP's) persecution of religious groups is indeed rising. I've mentioned the example of Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Covenant Church, but the persecution of Falun Gong is the same."  

For 26 years, mainland Falun Gong practitioners have paid a huge price to resist CCP demonization propaganda and clarify the truth of the persecution.  

According to Minghui.net data, from 2022 to 2025, the CCP arbitrarily detained or harassed over 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners, with over 2,000 sentenced to up to 15 years in prison after sham trials. Many charges were under Article 300 of the CCP Criminal Law, the so-called "crime of using a cult to undermine law enforcement."  

CCP Criminal Law Article 300 "using a cult to undermine law enforcement" has been repeatedly pointed out by outsiders as violating the Chinese Constitution.  

On November 16, 2022, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) released the "2022 China Human Rights and Rule of Law Report." The report called on the CCP to "repeal Article 300 of the Chinese Criminal Law."  

For 26 years, the number of Falun Gong practitioners persecuted to death by the CCP continues to grow. Here are just two recent cases:  
Zhang Fengxia, a Falun Gong practitioner from Saertu District, Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, was abducted by local police on August 11, 2025. On August 17, the 7th day after abduction, she was persecuted to death in Daqing Second Detention Center at age 52.  
Men Yulin, a Falun Gong practitioner from Yi County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, was released from prison on October 17, 2025, and died unjustly four days later. He was previously abducted on October 18, 2018, and sentenced to 7 years. Upon release from Shenyang Prison, he was already mentally unclear.  

Regarding the above, CECC Deputy Staff Director Tozzi said he noted the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong is particularly severe.  
He said groups like Falun Gong "have very high mortality rates in detention. Clearly, the CCP harbors a special hatred toward these groups. People often die in detention, which is truly shocking." △