The Malaysian government, under pressure from China, has canceled a dance performance containing acts referring to the Falun Gong spiritual movement, an official and the U.S.-based organizer said Monday.
About 20 people who had bought tickets for the weekend show (March 22-23) protested Monday outside the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, which issued the order to cancel the Divine Performing Arts troupe performance.
The ministry revoked the show’s permit because the Chinese Embassy complained that the organizers — U.S.-based New Tang Dynasty Television station — were supporters of Falun Gong, a spiritual movement that Beijing bans as a dangerous cult, said a ministry official.
“We have to take care of our relationship with China. It’s very important,” an official, who declined to be named
The Chinese Spectacular show which was originally scheduled to run from April 7 to April 30, 2008 is also canceled. The cancellation for the March 22-23 show cost organizers about $31,800 as at least 2,000 tickets were sold. The organizers is refunding the tickets, but people from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan and Singapore, who had already booked their flights, had still traveled to Kuala Lumpur.
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