U.S. federal authorities are conducting a criminal investigation into Shen Yun Performing Arts, a touring dance group run by the Falun Gong cult. The investigation is being overseen by the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department’s Diplomatic Service as well as federal prosecutors in Manhattan.
The dance group is a well-funded operation targeting the People’s Republic of China, and the dance motifs are filled with anti-P.R.C. propaganda. They perform around the world and almost continually in the United States. It has long been suspected that they exploit their young performers, typically children of Falun Gong followers, pay them little or nothing to work long hours, and maintain grueling schedules. A former performer has filed a lawsuit accusing Shen Yun of forced labor and human trafficking.
