An important theoretical article published on June 15 evidenced once again that Xi uses “human rights” with a different meaning than the rest of the world.
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Forced Labour Is Set to Stay in the Uyghur Heartland
Despite official denials, the policy is not only continuing. In fact, it is accelerating, as Adrian Zenz’s research shows.
In Search of China’s Secret Societies. 6. The Once and Future Secret Society
The religious and ritual features of groups such as the Tiandihui did not resist the competition of Christianity, Communism, and the new religions. In the end, only the criminal element remained.
In Search of China’s Secret Societies. 5. Secular Brotherhoods or Religious “Cults”?
Confusion and ambiguity in the use of “fandong huidaomen” (reactionary secret societies) and “xie jiao” (heterodox teachings) has persisted to this day.
In Search of China’s Secret Societies. 4. “Primitive Revolutionaries”?
Both Sun Yat-Sen and some Marxists interpreted at least certain societies as forms of political or social rebellion.
In Search of China’s Secret Societies. 3. The Tiandihui Goes Criminal
By the 19th century, the society operated a wide range of criminal enterprises in several continents. But esoteric rituals were never forgotten.
In Search of China’s Secret Societies. 2. The Origins of the Tiandihui
The most famous “secret society” was discovered in Taiwan in the 18th century. It was probably born as a group saving funds for weddings and funerals.
In Search of China’s Secret Societies. 1. Matgioi and the Esoteric Connection
The old Western notion of “Chinese secret society” owes much to a French esoteric author who died in 1939, Albert de Pouvourville.
Confucianism: “Atheism” or Religion? 5. How Confucianism Became a Religion—Unless It Didn’t
In contemporary China, some try to establish a “Confucian Church,” while Xi Jinping believes a non-religious Confucianism lives within the Communist Party.
Confucianism: “Atheism” or Religion? 4. The “Official Religion of Imperial China”?
A long process made the “Way of the Ru” an ideology governing the bureaucracy, education, and the imperial rites. The label “official religion” may however be misleading.