VZCZCXRO8238
PP RUEHCN RUEHGH RUEHVC
DE RUEHHK #1334/01 1371022
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 171022Z MAY 07
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1652
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 HONG KONG 001334 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER 
DEPT FOR EAP/CM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/18/2032 
TAGS: PHUM PINR PGOV CH HK MC
SUBJECT: FALUN GONG'S VIRTUAL SKELETON 
 
REF: HONG KONG 4115 
 
Classified By: E/P Chief Laurent Charbonnet. Reasons: 1.4(b,d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary:  As reported in reftel, the Falun Gong (FLG) 
movement has virtually no organizational structure, 
coordinated policy, or central financing; rather, it is a 
very loose association of practitioners who communicate 
through emails and regularly-held meetings.  Given FLG's 
virtual structure, the free and secure exchange of email 
communications--and the unfettered publication of FLG-related 
news--is key to the movement's success.  According to an FLG 
activist in late April 2007, a series of events raised 
concerns among the FLG over the integrity of their email and 
computer networks.  Thus, FLG started to discuss plans for 
the development of a formal vetting process for "high 
profile" members working at The Epoch Times or other 
FLG-associated media organizations.  Wang Lian was reportedly 
detained, interrogated, and ordered to disrupt the Hong Kong 
office of The Epoch Times.  Revelation of his story stirred 
concern among local FLG practitioners.  (Note:  Paras 2-4 
include one FLG activist's readout on Lian's story.  Paras 
5-6 include the same activist's comments on FLG cyber 
tradecraft.  End note.)  End Summary. 
 
Stress Fracture in the Media Bone? 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) In February 2007, FLG started to discuss plans for 
the development of a formal vetting process for core members 
working at "The Epoch Times" (ET) and other FLG-associated 
media organizations.  According to Sophie Xiao (strictly 
protect), an FLG activist in Hong Kong, another FLG member 
and ET technical advisor, Wang "William" Lian (strictly 
protect), traveled to Zhuhai and was detained by Public 
Security Bureau (PSB) officials for interrogation in 
September 2006.  (Note:  ET also published a series of 
reports about Lian's story, including transcripts of his 
personal statements emailed to the newspaper, in mid February 
¶2007.  Please refer to 
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-2-19/51859.ht ml and 
associated links.  End note.)  After his interrogation, Lian 
was released with instructions to meet with a contact in 
Macau, where at the time Lian was living and working as an 
assistant professor of information technology at the Macau 
University of Science and Technology.  Lian said that the 
contact in Macau, as well as a few of the PSB officers who 
initially detained him on the mainland, directed him to 
gather and deliver technical details related to The Epoch 
Times' computer networks here in Hong Kong, and to "disrupt 
the communications and publishing of The Epoch Times, 
especially its web-based reports."  Lian handed over several 
.pdf files with some details related to The Epoch Times' 
networks, mainly due to fear of reprisals against him or 
other FLG members or Epoch Times employees. 
 
¶3.  (C) Lian also told FLG members in Hong Kong that during 
the interrogation, he increasingly realized that the 
authorities already knew a great deal of his personal 
information and showed him a "thick folder" of information 
related to him, much of which he had never made public.  Lian 
speculated (without offering evidence) that only weeks before 
his detention he had applied to renew his Hong Kong 
identification card, at which time the Hong Kong authorities 
could have relayed some of this information to the mainland. 
Lian also said his interrogators referred to detailed records 
of his communications, including emails, and that these 
references caused him to question the extent to which he 
maintained any level of personal privacy or security.  Xiao 
told poloff that Lian has since fled to Australia. 
 
¶4.  (C) Xiao told poloff that following Lian's detailed 
account of events following his interrogation, Hong 
Kong-based FLG members grew concerned about the integrity of 
communications among members, as well as FLG media networks, 
drawing mainly on three related incidents.  First, members 
speculated about a connection between Lian's story and that 
of Dr. Peter Yuan Li, Chief Technical Officer for The Epoch 
Times, who was attacked at his home in Atlanta in February 
¶2006.  According to various media reports, a group of "Asian 
men," at least one of whom spoke Chinese, forced their way 
into Li's home, attacked him, and left his residence with 
only two laptop computers and a few documents.  Dr. Li 
claimed that The Epoch Times--similar to major news 
organizations like CNN and the New York Times--had 
"anti-blockage technology" that allowed mainlanders to 
receive information through FLG media channels.  Second, in 
late-February 2006, four unidentified men broke into the Hong 
 
HONG KONG 00001334  002 OF 002 
 
 
Kong office of The Epoch Times and smashed a "specialized 
printer" used for processing the daily's pages.  Aside from 
breaking the door to gain entry, the perpetrators reportedly 
did not damage any other equipment in the office.  The Epoch 
Times also publicized difficulties finding a printing company 
in Hong Kong, and eventually opted to print the daily paper 
in-house, increasing the impact of the destruction to the 
printer.  Finally, local FLG members expressed concern over a 
new member of The Epoch Times' staff from the mainland who 
had been "acting suspiciously," asking multiple managers for 
approval to stay late and even sleep in the office.  He was 
later dismissed for his suspicious requests. 
 
The Marrow: FLG Communications Security 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (S) Xiao also told poloff about some FLG members' efforts 
to complicate monitoring of their email and phone 
communications.  For example, FLG members often used an alias 
or pseudonym in their communications to conceal their 
identities.  Members also use a variety of revolving email 
accounts in order to complicate monitoring of their 
communications.  Xiao said that another reason for these 
tactics was FLG's use of listservs -- group email addresses 
often organized to simplify communications among large groups 
of people related to a predetermined topic -- which, if used 
improperly, could expose the interest and/or affiliation of 
members.  (Note:  Xiao passed to poloff copies of email 
communications, including listserv information.  End note.) 
 
¶6.  (S) FLG members, including Xiao, also have asked poloff 
to limit telephone discussion of FLG-related matters for fear 
of "mainland monitoring."  In private conversations with FLG 
members, they said they had no specific evidence of telephone 
monitoring but presumed PRC authorities or intelligence 
collectors targeted them for monitoring of their daily 
activities, largely based on stories such as those described 
above. 
Cunningham