76 Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested in Malaysia Ahead of Xi Jinping Visit, Elderly Man Dies in Chinese Prison

Dear Reader,

In April, Malaysian authorities arrested over 70 Falun Gong practitioners in Kuala Lumpur ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s state visit. The roundup, conducted on April 13, resulted in the detention of 47 Malaysian citizens and 29 Chinese nationals. The detainees included elderly individuals and children, with the youngest being just 10 years old. Several of Chinese nationals held United Nations-recognized refugee status, having fled persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The 47 Malaysian citizens were released on April 17, hours after Xi’s departure. The Chinese nationals were released in stages over the following two weeks, though several remain at risk of prosecution.

The mass arrest, the first of its kind in Malaysia targeting Falun Gong, has triggered international condemnation and sparked concern over potential foreign interference at the expense of Malaysian citizens’ freedoms of association and belief. For security reasons, the full details of the incident had not been made public until recently.

Also in this issue:

• Jilin authorities jailed an elderly couple for practicing Falun Gong despite medical warnings; soon after, the husband died in custody.

• Threats sent anonymously attempt to impersonate director of Falun Dafa Information Center.

• An 84-year-old Sichuan woman was sent to prison for practicing Falun Gong after the CCP overruled her medical parole.

• The CCP is currently directing a targeted, oppressive, and comprehensive campaign of transnational repression against Falun Gong practitioners worldwide.

To wrap up, we’re featuring a conversation video with our researcher, Cynthia Sun, and the NTD Newsroom in New York City, highlighting key moments from the World Falun Dafa Day parade and recent legislative achievements, including the Falun Gong Protection Act.

FEATURE STORY

CCP head Xi Jinping attending a ceremony at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during his state visit on April 16, 2025. (Photo: Vincent Thian/AP. Edited by Faluninfo)

What’s new? 

On April 13, just two days before Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia, 76 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested during a peaceful gathering in Kuala Lumpur. The group, which included 47 Malaysian citizens and 29 Chinese nationals—some of whom held UN-recognized refugee status—was participating in a routine study session of Falun Gong teachings at a private venue when the police raid occurred.

Around 3:00 p.m., approximately 20 police officers arrived at the scene, demanded participants’ identification, and ignored explanations that the event was spiritual in nature and nonpolitical. Despite offers from participants to travel to the station in their own vehicles, all were forcibly transported in police trucks. The group included elderly individuals and at least one child as young as 10 years old. Authorities also seized Falun Gong books, lotus ornaments, and other personal belongings from the venue.

Although they were initially told that they would be released after some routine paperwork, the practitioners were instead held overnight. In the early hours of April 14, police informed the group that orders from higher authorities had mandated continued detention and confiscated their mobile phones. Some detainees were taken to a court of inquiry to formalize the extended detention. Meanwhile, police searched several practitioners’ homes and summoned others for questioning. The Malaysian citizens were released on April 17, just hours after Xi Jinping concluded his visit. The Chinese nationals were released in stages over the following two weeks, though several remain under legal uncertainty and face potential prosecution.

Why does it matter? 

The mass arrest is the first known large-scale action targeting Falun Gong practitioners in Malaysia. It reflects a troubling pattern of transnational repression, where authorities in foreign countries act against Falun Gong practitioners under suspected pressure from the CCP.

In Malaysia, sources familiar with the April 13 arrests report that the operation was carried out under direct political pressure, with officers on-site citing “orders from above.” In the weeks preceding Xi’s visit, observers noted an increased presence of plainclothes agents surveilling Falun Gong gatherings and residences—mirroring tactics used by the CCP to monitor and intimidate practitioners abroad.

Though Malaysian citizens and foreign nationals have practiced Falun Gong peacefully in the country for over 30 years, pressure from Beijing appears to be influencing domestic policy. In 2022, the Malaysian government revoked the registration of the Falun Gong association, and in 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs blocked a publication request from practitioners, explicitly citing the need to protect diplomatic ties with China as a reason for the refusal. While Falun Gong itself remains legal in Malaysia, the recent mass arrest raises serious concerns about the erosion of civil liberties under foreign political influence.

What else do you need to know?

Similar incidents have been documented globally, particularly in the lead-up to high-level Chinese diplomatic visits. A recent investigation by the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) uncovered multiple cases, including a 2024 incident in Serbia where Falun Gong practitioners were detained without charges before Xi Jinping’s arrival and released only after his departure.

PERSECUTION IN CHINA

An elderly couple from Changchun City, Jilin Province, were jailed for practicing Falun Gong despite both being critically ill and deemed unfit for detention by two hospitals. Wang Ligong, 76, and his 74-year-old wife, Gong Shuying, were arrested in May 2023 for their faith. Authorities ignored medical assessments warning against imprisonment and proceeded with their detention. While Gong was sent to a detention center, Wang was initially released on bail, only to be rearrested and secretly sentenced.

Although Wang hired a lawyer, the detention center blocked the lawyer’s access, citing a nonexistent legal requirement allegedly issued by the Changchun City Political and Legal Affairs Committee, an extra-judicial agency of the Chinese Communist Party tasked with overseeing the persecution of Falun Gong. Appeals to the local procuratorate and even the mayor’s hotline failed to reverse the denial of legal representation.

Shortly after being admitted to Gongzhuling Prison, Wang’s health rapidly declined. He died around November 2024 after suffering a brain hemorrhage in the prison hospital.

Wang’s death underscores ongoing human rights concerns in China, particularly the systematic persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and the disregard for medical and legal safeguards, especially for the elderly and infirm.

TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION

Since April 28, at least six anonymous emails threatening violence against Falun Gong practitioners, Shen Yun performances, or public events have falsely used the name of Levi Browde, executive director of the Falun Dafa Information Center (FDIC). In all cases, the recipients recognized the impersonation, but the incidents are part of a longer-term tactic by pro-CCP trolls trying to frame critics as sending threats.

In one example, a bomb threat and ransom demand for $US 2 million were submitted through the Queens Public Library’s online inquiry form on April 28. The message was falsely signed with Mr. Browde’s name and an FDIC email address and included additional comments like “This is not a joke!”

The FDIC urges anyone who receives a strange-sounding or threatening email claiming to be from Mr. Browde or another Falun Gong practitioner to contact the center immediately for clarification.

PERSECUTION IN CHINA

Ms. Liu Faqun, an elderly and critically ill Falun Gong practitioner from Gulin County, Sichuan Province, was sentenced to four years in prison for handing out a single Falun Gong flyer in November 2022. Despite suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, and kidney issues, she endured repeated arrests, home raids, and prolonged interrogations. Police confiscated nearly 60,000 yuan in cash, Falun Gong books, and her identification documents, according to Minghui.org. Ms. Liu firmly refused to plead guilty.

Initially granted medical parole due to her condition, Ms. Liu’s release was revoked on April 14, after the Gulin Justice Bureau deemed her “socially harmful,” apparently only because she practiced Falun Gong and handed out a flyer. When police arrived on May 9 to take her into custody, they dismissed her family’s protests and health concerns, according to Bitter Winter, a well-respected Italian publication dedicated to exposing violations of religious freedom in China and elsewhere. She was transferred to the Sichuan Longquan Women’s Prison on May 13. Her family fears she may not survive the incarceration.

The CCP uses transnational repression as a powerful tool to intimidate dissidents and suppress democratic freedoms abroad, with Falun Gong practitioners as a primary target. Since launching its persecution campaign in 1999, the CCP has carried out a global effort to silence and marginalize the group, as documented in leaked Party directives, congressional testimonies from former Chinese diplomats, and independent investigations.

Published by the Falun Dafa Information Center in 2022, the article Transnational Repression outlines the CCP’s wide-ranging tactics and strategic goals. These include street violence, soft power infiltration, and targeted attacks on media outlets and organizations founded by Falun Gong practitioners. The campaign extends across multiple sectors through official regime directives, espionage, diplomatic pressure, propaganda, media censorship, and the erosion of academic freedom. Even cultural initiatives such as Shen Yun have been subject to direct harassment. Third-party research continues to shed light on the depth and persistence of these international repression efforts.

On May 9, in an NTD Newsroom interview, Cynthia Sun, a researcher with the Falun Dafa Information Center, discussed the significance of Falun Dafa and the challenges faced by practitioners in China. She highlighted the Center’s work in documenting human rights abuses and advocating for Falun Gong practitioners, including engaging with U.S. lawmakers and the State Department. Cynthia emphasized the tragic toll of the persecution—over 5,000 confirmed deaths and potentially many more—underscoring the severe censorship in China. She also shares her excitement over the recent unanimous House passage of the Falun Gong Protection Act, which aims to sanction perpetrators of religious persecution in China.

Cynthia also discussed how transnational repression by the Chinese Communist Party has extended into the United States, citing incidents like the secret Chinese police station in New York and direct threats received by the Center. Despite these dangers, she reflects on the joy and cultural pride brought by events like the World Falun Dafa Day parade in New York City. For her and many Chinese Americans, such events serve as a powerful reminder of their heritage and a celebration of freedoms unavailable in China. Cynthia concluded by expressing pride in seeing traditional Chinese culture thrive in the U.S. and emphasized the importance of standing up for religious freedom and human dignity.