China Anti-Cult Association
中國反邪教協會 | |
| Abbreviation | CACA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2000 |
| Founder | He Zuoxiu |
| Type | State-linked advocacy group |
| Location | |
| Website | chinafxj |
The China Anti-Cult Association (CACA) (Chinese: 中國反邪教協會), also known as the China Anti-Xie Jiao Association, is a Chinese state-linked advocacy group formed to oppose the activities of Falun Gong and certain other new religious movements.[1]
History and activities
CACA was founded in 2000 with the stated aim to mobilize "social forces" against groups like Falun Gong viewed as threating national stability.[2] Its founder was China Academy of Sciences-affiliated physicist He Zuoxiu.[3] CACA describes itself as a non-profit civil society organization,[4][5] though it has organizational ties to the Chinese government[1][6][7] and its activities align with government aims.[4] It is headquartered in Beijing.[8]
In 2014, CACA released a list of 20 "cult organizations" active in China.[9] It runs the news portal Kaiwind (facts.org.cn).[10]
Reception
CACA has been criticized by some observers as a government tool for religious persecution. Academic Wendy Rogers stated in 2017 that it had been established by the Chinese Communist Party "to create propaganda vilifying Falun Gong", and that it "devises methods of forcible ideological conversion of Falun Gong practitioners".[6] A 2024 United States Commission on International Religious Freedom report named CACA as an entity through which the Chinese government carries out campaigns to eliminate religious groups such as Falun Gong and The Church of Almighty God.[11]
References
- 1 2 "China anti-cult organisation set up". BBC News. 2000-11-13. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ "Chinese 'cult busters' set up". BBC News. 2000-11-14. Archived from the original on 2026-08-22. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ Edelman, B.; Richardson, J. T. (2005-03-01). "Imposed Limitations on Freedom of Religion in China and the Margin of Appreciation Doctrine: A Legal Analysis of the Crackdown on the Falun Gong and other "Evil Cults"". Journal of Church and State. 47 (2): 243–267. doi:10.1093/jcs/47.2.243. ISSN 0021-969X.
CACA was founded by He Zuoxiu, a 73-year-old famous physicist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
- 1 2 Tatlow, Didi Kirsten (2016-08-24). "Angry Claims and Furious Denials Over Organ Transplants in China". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2025-10-20. Retrieved 2026-08-26.
- ↑ ""中国反邪教协会"在北京成立" [The China Anti-Cult Association was established in Beijing]. Radio Free Asia (in Chinese). 2000-11-13. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- 1 2 Rogers, Wendy (2017-02-15). "China says it has stopped harvesting organs, but evidence belies its claim". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 2026-02-03. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ "China Anti-Xie jiao Association". Bitter Winter. 2018-11-07. Archived from the original on 2026-08-22. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ "Crackdown on cults continues with arrests". China Daily. 2014-06-12. Archived from the original on 2026-08-22. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ "中国公布20个活跃邪教组织" [China releases list of 20 active cults]. Radio Free Asia (in Chinese). 2014-06-08. Archived from the original on 2026-08-23. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ Cook, Sarah (2019-02-01). "The Learning Curve: How Communist Party Officials are Applying Lessons from Prior "Transformation" Campaigns to Repression in Xinjiang". Jamestown Foundation. Archived from the original on 2026-08-21. Retrieved 2026-08-21.
- ↑ Schexnaydre, Dylan (September 2024). "Sinicization of Religion: China's Coercive Religious Policy" (PDF). United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2026-05-13. Retrieved 2026-08-21.