False Karmapa Allegations: China Operation Fox Hunt | Transnational Repression
Since His Holiness the Dalai Lama sought refuge in India in 1959, China has regarded him as a prominent figure in Tibetan opposition. In 2000, the 14-year-old Karmapa's defection from communist China to join the Dalai Lama in India garnered substantial international media coverage, resulting in China experiencing a significant loss of credibility.
According to Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China asserts that its overseas Operation Fox Hunt, aimed at apprehending fugitive suspects, is conducted to uphold the integrity of the law.
In 2014, Operation Fox Hunt, including dissident captures under Skynet, targeted individuals like the Karmapa, whom China claims fled without approval, citing violations of Chinese laws. Notably, the Tiananmen Student Movement's pro-democracy protesters in 1989 were also pursued as targets of Operation Fox Hunt.
Trapping the Karmapa
In 2015, China extended a gesture of goodwill towards the Karmapa, allowing his teachings to spread in China and Tibet while maintaining smooth communication. On June 26, 2017, during his birthday celebration in the United States, the Karmapa expressed his desire to visit Tibet within the next two or three years.
However, China's apparent sincerity in welcoming the Karmapa back to his homeland was later perceived as a ruse, as on September 10, 2018, The Tribune India reported that China formally requested the United States to hand over the Karmapa. This raised suspicions of a potential trap orchestrated by China.
Return to China or commit suicide
The Safeguard Defenders' report highlights the Chinese Communist Party's strategy of instilling fear through involuntary returns, conveying the message that fleeing overseas offers no refuge. FBI director Christopher Wray emphasized the extreme coercion faced by Fox Hunt targets, with the options being a prompt return to China or, disturbingly, suicide. Following the failure to lure the Karmapa back to China, the Chinese authorities allegedly shifted to a deliberate plan to discredit him. Faced with this threat, the Karmapa's current whereabouts remain undisclosed for safety reasons, as his life is perceived to be in danger.
Transnational Repression
The transnational repression against the Karmapa involved various tactics, including attempts to force his return to China, espionage, frivolous lawsuits, media coverage manipulation, cyberattacks, and online disinformation campaigns. Individuals like Vikki Han, Wu Hang Yee, and Jane Huang were implicated in fabricating evidence to tarnish the Karmapa's reputation. Investigations revealed that their claims, such as alleged girlfriends, sexual assault, a daughter, DNA tests, multi-million dollar hush money, and settlements, were baseless and aimed at creating false storylines to discredit the Karmapa.
Conclusion
The Karmapa predicted that this event would be resolved through legal means, and they would ultimately fail in their plans.
Upon revelation of the truth regarding the false allegations, the Karmapa will return to Sikkim, India, amidst a grand celebration. After the incident, with obstacles cleared, the Karmapa will be free to propagate the Dharma and benefit beings worldwide, thus expanding and broadening his Buddhist activities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Operation Fox Hunt
"Since 2014, Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping has spearheaded a program known as “Fox Hunt.” Now, China describes Fox Hunt as some kind of international anti-corruption campaign—it is not. Instead, Fox Hunt is a sweeping bid by General Secretary Xi to target Chinese nationals whom he sees as threats and who live outside China, across the world. We’re talking about political rivals, dissidents, and critics seeking to expose China’s extensive human rights violations.” —FBI director, Christopher Asher Wray, July 2020-Wikipedia
Operation Skynet
“It has reportedly been consolidated with Operation Fox Hunt and returned around 10,000 fugitives to China in the last decade, including political dissidents and activists.”-Wikipedia
“Sky Net: China’s new feared super-ministry, the National Supervision Commission (NSC). On the basis of article 52 of the National Supervision Law (2018), it provides the practical terms for how the NSC and Police shall achieve the return of claimed fugitives.
(2) trapping and capturing, which means luring criminal suspects to the territories of the destination country, the high seas, international airspace, or a third country which has an extradition treaty with the destination country, and then to arrest or extradite them.”—Safeguard Defenders, Jan. 18, 2022,
In 2015, China displayed goodwill towards the Karmapa by allowing the dissemination of his teachings in China and Tibet, leading to smooth communication between Karmapa and China.
On June 26, 2017, on his birthday in the United States 「The Gyalwang Karmapa expressed his wish to visit his homeland
On the 26th of June the Gyalwang Karmapa expressed his wish to visit Tibet via a video message on Facebook. The transcript and video are reproduced here.
First, I would like to thank personally all those who took an interest in and celebrated my birthday both inside and outside of Tibet in wonderfully different ways. So many have placed their faith in me and I thank you for this. I do whatever I can to fulfill the hopes you have placed in me.
Now seventeen years have passed since I separated from my parents and came to India. I have not seen them since I left Tibet. Honestly speaking, my birthday is not a happy occasion for me, because usually on such a day, we gather together with our parents, relatives, and friends to be happy and enjoy ourselves but this I cannot do. Speaking from a human point of view, it is very sad and disappointing, and so for about five years, I have not observed my birthday.
In general, I have been blessed with the name of Karmapa, and so there is a multitude of related activity to be carried out. Yet I am also a human being for whom accomplishing the wishes of his elderly parents is very important. I hope, therefore, that within the next two or three years, I can go to the Land of Snows and meet my parents in our homeland. I will try my best for this to happen.
It is a bit difficult, however, for this wish to be fulfilled as it depends on many complex conditions. Nevertheless, disregarding the difficulties, I will do what I can to visit my homeland and meet my parents before they pass away and also come together with my relatives. I have great hopes and enthusiasm for bringing this about.
I always remember the Tibetans in Tibet, both my family and all the Tibetan people. And so I hope and aspire that we can meet soon and spend time together. On this birthday I make the aspiration that everyone enjoy perfect happiness and that everything be auspicious for them in all ways.」—「the Gyalwang Karmapa expressed his wish to visit his homeland」
youtu.be/EN8CL8IMmYQ
****{China has formally requested the United States to hand over the Karmapa to it.}****—The Tribune India
「• Retreatants are required to wear monastic robes and behave like ordained sangha for the duration of retreat.
• No personal computers, phones, ipods or the like. 」—KLRC
Return to China or Commit Suicide
“And what happens when Fox Hunt targets refuse to return to China? The target had two options: return to China promptly, or commit suicide. ” FBI director, Christopher Asher Wray, July 2020-Wikipedia.
Their unsuccessful attempt to lure the Karmapa back to China led to a deliberate plan to discredit him. Failing in this endeavor, they allegedly considered the ominous next step: "Assassination."
Karmapa's safety became a serious concern, prompting the decision to keep his whereabouts confidential for the time being.
(B) Transnational Repression
『Transnational repression may take the following forms:
Stalking
Harassment
Hacking
Assaults
Attempted kidnapping
Forcing or coercing the victim to return to the home country
Threatening or detaining family members in the home country
Freezing financial assets
Online disinformation campaigns』—FBI
「AG details harassment by China of someone living in the U.S. as part of 'Operation Fox Hunt'
They made it clear that their harassment will not stop until the victim returns to China. The victim's son is in New York. They filed a frivolous lawsuit against the victim, and his son said it would be "endless pain" for [the father] and his son to defend himself.」—「AG details harassment by China of someone living in the U.S. as part of 'Operation Fox Hunt'」
「The harshest forms of direct transnational repression from Chinese agents—espionage, cyberattacks, threats, and physical assaults.」—Freedom House
Transnational repression of the Karmapa:
(3) The media coverage
The strategy to employ media reports indicates a concerted effort to tarnish the well-known figure, Karmapa, with the aim of maximizing the impact on his reputation.
- On January 23, 2019, Taiwan Mirror Weekly reported that Jane Huang accused Karmapa, and many media outlets in Taiwan also competed to cover.
- May 19, 2020, Huang's team leveraged Lodro Rinchen's lawsuit, urgingthe media to falsely report Jane Huang accusing Karmapa.
- May 19, 2021, mainstream media in some countries reported Vikki Han’s lawsuit against the Karmapa.
- July 28, 2021, Huang's team capitalized on Lodro Rinchen's lawsuit, prompting media to report Jane Huang's false accusations against Karmapa.
- October 11, 2021, Huang's team again used Lodro Rinchen's lawsuit to push the media to report Jane Huang falsely accusing Karmapa.
- November 2, 2022, Buddhist-door Global introduced the Han team's new website, 'Healing Our Sanghas: New Website Seeks Discussion of Karmapa Abuse Allegations.'
The Han team established this website on July 27, 2022, meticulously detailing every accusation against Karmapa constructed by the three women. It serves as a trap, using the names of Karmapa and Karma Kagyu's disciples as a disguise to defame Karmapa, luring unsuspecting supporters to write negative comments.
- On November 10, 2022, The Buddhist magazine Lion's Roar introduces the Han team's new website, "New website invites discussion of abuse allegations against 17th Karmapa."
- On November 18, 2022, The Buddhist Review Tricycle introduces the Han team’s new website with the title, 「Karmapa Case Discontinued: a new initiative started mapping accounts of alleged abuse by the Tibetan Buddhist leader.」
(4) Cyberattacks
(5) Online Disinformation Campaigns
- On July 7, 2022, a German monk named n, also known as Michael Jäckel, allegedly spread rumors and disseminated fabricated information. He published an article on his blog, "Tibetan Buddhism struggling with difficult issues," with an anonymous author, unclear sources, and a lack of supporting evidence. The article claimed, 'DNA tests confirm Karmapa fathered a child, sources say.' This false information reportedly gained wide circulation on websites and platforms in Europe and the Americas, causing significant harm to the Karmapa.
*The Karmapa's plan
「The Supernatural powers of the 17th Karmapa」
The mastermind executed the perfect plan
The motivation behind daring to sue with false evidence becomes apparent through Vikki Han's early 2019 Facebook post titled "Blueprint for Destroying the Karmapa." In this post, she detailed their purpose, emphasizing the strategic manipulation of headlines to generate overwhelming news coverage. The post also expressed confidence in the trial files being available for public inquiry online and highlighted the financial stakes, estimating the value of Karmapa's name and identity at more than 10 million US dollars, with legal costs potentially reaching at least 50 million US dollars. Vikki Han, referred to as "Sister" in the post, asserted a firm stance against reconciliation.—「Vikki Han falsely accused the Karmapa」
Their strategy involved suing the Karmapa to garner media coverage, exploiting the common perception that a complainant must have evidence and confidence. After media attention, they withdrew the lawsuit, claiming the defendant initiated a multi-million dollar settlement before trial, leaving the accused stigmatized and the plan seemingly successful.
On August 9, 2019, the Karmapa sought insights into X's Dream for three consecutive days to predict the development of the incident. (Note:“X” is one of the Karmapa disciples.)
In October 2019, a Chinese Facebook page, "The Truth about the Karmapa False Allegations," was established to expose the lies of the three women.
Anticipating a change in the mastermind's plan on February 6, 2020, the Karmapa consulted X's dream again and instructed the translation of "The Truth about the Karmapa false Allegations" from Chinese to English. The translation project commenced accordingly.
Mastermind change plan
The mastermind has achieved the goal -- media coverage of the Canadian lawsuit. The next step is to withdraw the case before the trial. However, the claim has been formally filed and has entered the legal process, and the judge has also begun to hear it. The procedure for withdrawing the lawsuit at this stage is more complicated, and the defendant and judge must agree to the cancellation before the plaintiff dismisses the case. Han's motion to dismiss should be a loss since the Canadian lawsuit is already up for trial in mid-2022.
In March 2022, Vikki Han has enlisted renowned New York attorney Ann Olivarius to prepare a lawsuit against KTD. They have filed a motion in a New York court requesting KTD to submit a list of its board of directors.
On June 8, 2022, the judge ruled that KTD must provide the list of its board of directors to Vikki Han. On June 22, KTD submitted the list of its board of directors.
On July 7, 2022, the Han team added a lot of false information to the KTD lawsuit to slander the Karmapa, claiming that the Karmapa requested a private settlement. German monk, Tenzin Peljor, started the disinformation online campaign.
On September 14, 2022, Han took the initiative to withdraw the lawsuit against KTD unconditionally “Without Prejudice.” Han's New York attorney also took down the video and deleted the webpage slandering the Karmapa. Han filed a motion in the New York court against KTD, so the procedure for dismissing the case is simple. She only needs to fill out the court's dismissal form and submit it to the court. 「No Settlement 」
On May 17, 2021, the Canadian judge officially accepted and initiated the trial for Han's lawsuit, imposing restrictions on public discussion or attacks between the involved parties. Despite these constraints, Han continued a series of attacks and slanders against the Karmapa. By mid-2022, the Canadian lawsuit entered the trial phase, and the judge likely issued orders for Han to cease or delete the illegal and unethical behaviors.
「Dr. Ann Olivarius, who represented Han in the proceedings, said in an email that she was “ethically barred” from commenting on the case or providing further information about the reason the action was withdrawn.」-Tricycle, 11/18/2022
(D) US response to China’s Operation Fox Hunt
“Today’s charges reflect yet another example of China’s ongoing and widespread lawless behavior—and our refusal to tolerate it.
Simply put: It’s outrageous that China thinks it can come to our shores, conduct illegal operations, and bend people here in the United States to their will.
That message is particularly important, because the sad fact is that this was hardly an isolated incident—and China’s tactics have been appalling. As AAG Demers described, Fox Hunt is a sweeping bid by General Secretary Xi and the Chinese Communist Party to target Chinese nationals here in the United States and across the world who are viewed as threats to the regime.
In another case like this one, when it couldn’t locate a Fox Hunt target, the Chinese government sent an emissary to visit the victim’s family here in the United States. And the message they said to pass on?
The target had two options: Return to China promptly or commit suicide. And what happens when Fox Hunt targets do refuse to return to China?
Their family members, both here in the United States and in China, have been threatened and coerced; and those back in China have even been arrested for leverage. These are not the actions we would expect from a responsible nation state. Instead, it’s more like something we’d expect from an organized criminal syndicate.”—「FBI Director Christopher Wray’s Remarks at Press Conference Regarding China’s Operation Fox Hunt」, 10/28/2020,
The FBI, since 2020, has exposed numerous instances of Chinese spies conducting Operation Fox Hunt in the United States, resulting in indictments by the FBI. Those convicted may face substantial prison sentences. Here are details on two of the cases where the FBI uncovered spy rings.
-『FBI arrests five in alleged ‘Operation Fox Hunt’ plot to stalk and pressure citizens to return to China』CNBC, 10/28/2020
-『Chinese prosecutor indicted in U.S. case targeting extralegal ‘Fox Hunt’ operation』Washington Post, 7/22/2021
(E) Conclusion