76 Falun Gong Practitioners Arrested in Malaysia Ahead of Xi Jinping Visit, Raising Alarms Over Transnational Repression

KUALA LUMPUR — In a serious violation of civil liberties on Malaysian soil, 76 Falun Gong practitioners were arrested in Kuala Lumpur on April 13, 2025—just two days before Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping’s state visit to the country. 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.

“This is the first time we’ve seen such a large-scale arrest of Falun Gong practitioners in Malaysia, and it raises serious questions about the Chinese regime’s ability to export its religious persecution abroad,” said Levi Browde, Executive Director of the Falun Dafa Information Center. “What happened in Kuala Lumpur is almost certainly not a domestic law enforcement issue, but rather a result of transnational repression orchestrated by the CCP.”

Police raid peaceful gathering

According to eyewitnesses, the 76 practitioners—comprising 47 Malaysian citizens and 29 Chinese nationals—were gathered for a routine study of Falun Gong spiritual texts at a private venue in Kuala Lumpur when approximately 20 police officers arrived around 3:00 p.m. Police demanded identification documents and, despite explanations that Falun Gong is a peaceful, non-political spiritual practice, forcibly transported the entire group to a local police station.

The group included elderly individuals and children, with the youngest being just 10 years old. Several Chinese nationals in attendance held United Nations-recognized refugee status, having fled persecution by the CCP.

Practitioners offered to travel to the station using their own vehicles but were denied and threatened with handcuffs. Police confiscated Falun Gong books, lotus statues, and other personal items.

Extended and unexplained detentions

Although initially told they would be released after paperwork was completed, detainees were held overnight. In the early hours of April 14, police informed them that orders had come from “higher authorities” to pursue extended detention and confiscated all cell phones. Authorities later took some practitioners to a court of inquiry to formalize the detention extension.

Local practitioners reported that several homes were searched, and additional individuals were taken in for questioning.

The 47 Malaysian citizens were released on April 17, hours after Xi Jinping’s departure. The Chinese nationals were released in stages over the following two weeks, though several remain at risk of prosecution.

Suspected CCP pressure

This incident mirrors a series of similar events in recent years targeting Falun Gong practitioners and other persecuted communities or individuals critical of the CCP. An investigation published by the International Consortium for Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) on April 29 documented multiple cases with similar patterns. These included, specifically, people being pre-emptively detained by local police before a visit by Xi and then being held on a flimsy legal basis, only to be released after his departure from the country.

Among the incidents highlighted by the ICIJ was a case in Serbia on May 7, 2024, when local authorities detained Falun Gong practitioners shortly before Xi Jinping’s arrival. They were held without charges and released only after Xi’s departure. Analysts warn that such incidents represent a dangerous pattern of the CCP exporting its persecution campaign abroad under the guise of diplomatic relations.

Adding to suspicions of CCP influence, sources familiar with the incident in Malaysia report that the arrests were executed under direct political pressure. Officers on-site reportedly acknowledged that the operation was carried out due to “pressure from above.”

In the weeks leading up to Xi’s visit, observers noted an increased presence of plainclothes agents surveilling Falun Gong practice sites, informational booths, and even private residences. This aligns with prior reports of CCP extraterritorial surveillance and harassment of Falun Gong communities abroad.

Malaysian citizens and foreign nationals have freely practiced Falun Gong in the country for over three decades, including gathering to study spiritual scriptures. Nevertheless, the Malaysia Government revoked the registration of the local Falun Gong association in 2022, reportedly under CCP influence. Freedom House also reported that the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs in 2019 had rejected a request by Falun Gong practitioners to publish a newspaper, justifying the rejection on the basis of wanting to “maintain bilateral relations with the People’s Republic of China.” Still, Malaysian law does not ban the practice of Falun Gong.

Next options for Kuala Lumpur

In a public statement following the incident, Malaysian practitioners affirmed that Falun Gong has been peacefully practiced in the country for 31 years without a single case of violence. They emphasized that practitioners pose no threat and called on the Malaysian government to distinguish between the Chinese people and the CCP’s authoritarian tactics.

The statement urged authorities to:

• Uphold Malaysia’s constitutional protections for freedom of belief
• Resist CCP efforts to use economic leverage to suppress human rights
• Reinstate the Falun Gong association as a lawful society

The Falun Dafa Information Center urges the Malaysian government to protect peaceful religious activities from CCP interference, drop all charges against this group of practitioners, and reinstate the legal status of the local Falun Gong association.

“Malaysia has long upheld the right to belief and peaceful assembly of Falun Gong practitioners. We urge its leaders to continue protecting those freedoms from foreign interference,” Browde added. “Moreover, we have seen time and again that the CCP’s tactics and economic leverage used to suppress Falun Gong are soon applied to other targets. Conceding to Beijing’s pressure on Falun Gong places other Malaysians and foreigners in future danger. The Malaysian government should resist.”