Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident The Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident took place in Tiananmen Square in central Beijing, on the eve of Chinese New Year on 23 January 2001. The incident is disputed; Chinese government sources say that five members of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice that is persecuted in mainland China, set themselves on fire in the square. Falun Gong sources disputed the accuracy of these portrayals, and claimed that their teachings explicitly forbid violence or suicide. Several journalists have suggested the self-immolations were staged. According to Chinese state media, a group of seven people had travelled to Beijing from
Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident Eight million students joined the ""Anti-Cult Action by the Youth Civilized Communities Across the Nation"". Twelve million children were made to submit writings disapproving of the practice. Within a month of the Tiananmen Square incident, authorities issued a document entitled "The whole story of the self-immolation incident created by Falun Gong addicts in Tiananmen Square", containing colour photographs of charred bodies. The State Council's "Office for the Prevention and Handling of Evil Cults" declared after the event that it was now ready to form a united front with the global anti-cult struggle. Meetings took place in factories, offices, universities and