Recently an open faction strife has broken out among Falun Gong followers in Australia. A lot of them went to America to make an appeal to Li Hongzhi. Consequently several senior leaders were dismissed and replaced, which made a great stir within Falun Gong.

The conflict was between Australian Falun Gong media, which involve Epoch Times, New Tang Dynasty Television and Sound of Hope Radio, and Australian Falun Gong Association. Australia Falun Gong media revealed that Wei Xibin had long dominated all by himself Australian Falun Gong Association, discriminated against those who had different views and embezzled a large sum of public money. While Australian Falun Gong Association accused in return that Australian Falun Gong media were just making mischief so as to break up Falun Gong organizations and they had reaped much profit stealthily under cover of New Tang Dynasty Television.

The two sides originally reproached each other in Australia. However, since August the 3rd, it occurred suddenly that a lot of practitioners set off for New York to seek justice from Li Hongzhi. It is said that it was first launched by Australian Falun Gong media. So Li Hongzhi, to show fairness, asked Australian Falun Gong Association to have someone to defend for themselves. It turned out that the two sides began to compete against each other by sending more to New York. Finally it is said that more than three hundred of 1000 odd Falun Gong practitioners in Australia have gone to New York. Each side had both brought tapes with confidential recordings and other important proof. What an unmanageable situation!

The final result was that Wei Xibin, vice chairman of Australian Falun Gong Association, and Huang Zhuoran, president of Australian New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) were dismissed altogether. It seemed that both sides have been blamed without discrimination. But Australian Falun Gong media claimed the victory was on their side, for Li Hongzhi has announced that Wei Xibin would not be appointed in any position in future, and Li Hongzhi firstly arranged for Susan, president of Australian Epoch Times, to take over Australian Falun Gong Association. But Susan declined for she knew clearly that it was really hard to handle such a confusing situation.

Such a faction strife has greatly undermined Australian Falun Gong's strength. Wei Xibin and Huang Zhuoran are both very important figures among Australia Falun Gong practitioners. Their dismissal has aroused much concern. In addition, Zhao Luxi and Li Qizhong, the new successors, are those of no much influence. Australian Falun Gong practitioners all doubt whether they have the capability to be entrusted with such important positions. This serious faction strife has also disappointed many Falun Gong practitioners who have questioned why the two sides have all overlooked their belief in Falun Gong. Huang Zhuoran is much more popular than Wei Xibin within Australian Falun Gong practitioners. So many practitioners feel dissatisfied with Li Hongzhi's political trick to dismiss Huang Zhuoran all together.

The faction strife within Australian Falun Gong is revealed to the public because it has caused utter confusion. In fact, such faction strife is not uncommon in Falun Gong organization. For instance, many Falun Gong media such as New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) and Epoch Times have struck up discordant tune against Minghui Net in many issues such as whether to propagandize "Nine Comments on Chinese Communist Party". In early 2006, Li Yuan, an important figure in American Falun Gong organization, was suddenly attacked at home, which made Li Hongzhi fly into a rage. Although Falun Gong denounced that it was the secret agents from China Communist Party who committed the violence, the sensible public knows clearly that China Communist Party would not run risks to take this kind of meaningless action. It is also said that the attack against Li Yuan results from some practitioners' jealousy of him. Li Yuan's love for Li Meige, Li Hongzhi's daughter, has gradually helped him become Li Hongzhi's favorite, and Li Yuan even intends to be the successor of Li Hongzhi. So some practitioners have taken this action to deflate Li Yuan's arrogance. In February and September 2006, it was released respectively that Fan Yanyu, an editor of Minghui Net, and Qiu Qingqing, chief editor of Zhengjian Net, suddenly declared that they would break with Falun Gong and Falun Dafa Buddhist Research Institute. At the same time they disclosed to the public some inside documents about Falun Gong. In 2006, Li Guodong and Feng Lili, two important figures in American Falun Organization, have died of illness. Their early death would seriously stain Falun Gong's image, so Falun Gong attempted to keep the news. But it was brought into the public very soon. It was even reported that Feng Lili's family members had asked Li Hongzhi to use his magic power to save Feng Lili, but were turned down. During the late half year of 2006, Li Hongzhi has not attended any public activities for unknown reasons. This year when he renewed his instructions about Falun Gong in America, he talked a lot about how overseas practitioners should unite and how mainland practitioners should not be in conflict with overseas practitioners. Not before long, it spread quickly that Li Hongzhi has developed brain cancer and the real reason for his disappearance from the public was to receive some treatment. Even a detailed document was disclosed about how Falun Gong should be developed after Li Hongzh dies. It claimed that without Li Hongzhi, Falun Gong would continue to exist.

It is said that so much internal conflicts within Falun Gong, including the serious faction strife in Australia, all originate from Li Hongzhi's fight against Ye Hao, a leading figure in Falun Gong, for dominance. Who is Ye Hao? He is not a common figure. He used to be a senior official of Ministry of Public Security in China. Being a computer expert, he used to be the leader of China's cyber police. He came to America after his retirement. He joined Falun Gong very early. It is all due to Ye Hao's efforts that Falun Gong could develop quickly before 1999 in China, and Falun Gong could still keep regular online contact with the Mainland even if it had been declared as cult by China Communist Party. Ye Hao's daughter and son are both proficient in computer and now in charge of Falun Gong's websites. Besides, Ye Hao has been the chairman of Falun Dafa Buddhist Research Association, the open organization of Falun Gong. Through this Association, Falun Gong has obtained much financial support, including a large sum of money from Taiwan. So Ye Hao is considered an influential hero within Falun Gong. But Ye Hao has not satisfied with Li Hongzhi's total dominance for a long time. He attempted to be the second to Li Hongzhi, and to enjoy as much respect and worship as Li Hongzh. Li Hongzhi holds complex feelings for Ye Hao. He needs Ye's help and appreciates Ye's capability, but he also hates Ye's disloyalty. As a result, their strife, openly and secretly, has lasted for some times. The serious faction strife in Australia is only a case in point.

Now it is hard to predict what aftereffects this faction strife in Australia would bring about. It is informed that just before he was dismissed, Huang Zhuoran had taken advantage of his final power to transfer a great deal of properties from New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) to Epoch Times, and thus leaving an awful mass to his successor Li Qizhong. Meanwhile, after he was forced to leave his position, Wei Xibin claimed that he would wait and see whether Zhao Luxi was capable enough to handle Australian Falun Gong Association. Consequently, more conflicts are sure to pop up between the two sides. But both sides, with so many accusations against each other, restrain themselves from directing the target of attack toward their real backstage supporters, namely Li Hongzhi and Ye Hao. Li Hongzhi and Ye Hao also kept silent toward Australia faction. Therefore, this serious faction strife in Australia will not initiate full-scale internal clashes within Falun Gong temporarily, nor be the prelude of the final face-off between Li Hongzhi and Ye Hao.

(boxun.com)