Chinese sect leader waits for word on asylum in U.S.

Zhang Hongbao has been held at a U.S. imigration detention center in Guam for more than five months

Beijing continues crackdown on 'evil cults'

From Hong Kong Bureau Chief Mike Chinoy

August 25, 2000
Web posted at: 6:28 a.m. HKT (2228 GMT)

HONG KONG (CNN) -- While the Chinese government extended its crackdown on religion to Protestant churches, the leader of a banned meditation group waited in Guam for a ruling on his request for political asylum in the United States.

Chinese authorities on Wednesday arrested 130 members of the China Fang-cheng Church, one of 14 Christian groups the government has labeled "evil cults" and banned as it has banned the meditation groups Zhong Gong and Falun Gong.

Zhang Hongbao, the 46-year-old founder of Zhong Gong, has been held at a U.S. immigration detention center in Guam since February, when he arrived after fleeing a massive police hunt for him in China.

VIDEO CNN's Mike Chinoy examines the asylum request Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     MESSAGE BOARDS China

The Chinese government, claiming Zhang is a criminal who engaged in illicit sex with his followers, wants him back to stand trial. But Zhang, whose group ran a network of schools and healing centers while claiming millions of devotees, denies all the charges.

"The Chinese government is trying to destroy me, not because our group commits any illegal acts, but because we are a political threat," he said, adding that the government "fears our large numbers."

"The government is worried that if we form a political party, it will be the largest opposition party in China ... because my beliefs are diametrically opposed to Marxism-Leninism."

Zhang founded Zhong Gong in 1987, and saw the group banned last year along with another Buddhist-like meditation sect, the Falun Gong. Falun Gong's leader, Li Hongzhi, has permanent residency in the United States.

Human rights advocates say extraditing Zhang to China would guarantee a death sentence.

"He would most likely be executed because of his enormous political influence," said Frank Lu of the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Hong Kong. "I think it is 100 percent certain he would be executed."

But Zhang's fate poses a dilemma for U.S. President Bill Clinton's administration, which is trying to improve strained relations with Beijing. U.S. immigration authorities have delayed a final decision on Zhang's appeal for asylum.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong rights group reported that Chinese President Jiang Zemin has called for tougher action against the Zhong Gong sect to prevent its emergence as a mass organization outside the Chinese Community Party's control.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Christian Prisoners in China
Foreign Ministry of the People's Republic of China
Universal Declararion of Human Rights
Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy
China Falun Gong
Falun Gong and Master Li

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