Citizens Against Communist Chinese Propaganda
A group of dedicated volunteers who are against the inclusion of 'minority' and religious exhibits at the Chinese Communist Party owned and operated Florida Splendid China theme park in Kissimmee, Florida.
Specifically, we are protesting the inclusion of the Potala Palace that was built by the Tibetan people and served as the home of successive Dalai Lamas since 1645,
the Id Gah Mosque and Tomb of Abakh Hoja which serve as cultural icons of the people of Eastern Turkestan.
and the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan and the Mongolian Yurtexhibit which attempt to add a Chinese name to the Southern Mongolian people.
Index
Florida Splendid China Exhibit Information
You are visitor 
since May 5, 1996.
The data on this home page is being constantly updated
Index
Mail us your comments and suggestions
General Information
Why we got started
Why did they ignore our letters and the chance to meet with friendly people?
Goals
This is what we have set our sights on.
The Reasons
These are the reasons that we originally objected to the replicas.
Protest History
A compilation of the protests against Florida Splendid China
Frequently Asked Questions List
This is the html version of the FAQ posted to the WWW.
Press Releases / Clippings
1993(16)
1994 (6)
1995(10)
1996(17)
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Letters to the Park
International Campaign for Tibet: 11/12/93
Letter to Mr. Chen
Last month the International Campaign for Tibet learned that Splendid China was going to open on December 18,1993 in Florida. We are writing to you ...
Citizens Against Backyard Communism: 2/06/95
Excerpt of letter to Mr. Ma
While I reflect on the beginning of the second year of operation for Florida Splendid China, I am moved by a deep sense of conviction ........
Citizens Against Backyard Communism: 12/06/95
Letter to Mr. Ma
As the second anniversary of the opening of Florida Splendid China approaches, we are again motivated to write to you ........
Citizens Against Communist Chinese Propaganda: 02/18/96
Letter to Mr. Ma
To celebrate the 37th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising ........
Citizens Against Communist Chinese Propaganda: 05/09/96
Letter to Mr. Yang
Welcome to Florida.
To commemorate the seventh anniversary of....
Citizens Against Communist Chinese Propaganda: 08/30/96
Letter to Mr. Yang
To commemorate the forty-seventh anniversary of...
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Specific Exhibit Information
Florida Splendid China Exhibit (replica) List
(Tabular Form)
(By Region)
(By Ethnicity)
Some information about the 'minorities' falsely represented at the park.
Information about Tibet
Information about Eastern Turkestan
Information about Southern Mongolia
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Bibliography
Avedon, John F.; In Exile From the Land of Snows; 1994; Harper Collins Publishers; New York, New York
Bstan-'dzin-rgya-mtsho; Freedom in Exile: The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama; 1990; HarperCollins Publishers;New York
Buckley, Michael; Samagalski, Alan;Storey, Robert; Taylor, Chris; Lindenmayer, Clem; China-a travel survival kit;Lonely Planet Publications; March 1994; Singapore
Chen, Jack; The Sinkiang Story; 1977; MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc.; New York
Coleman, Graham; A Handbook of Tibetan Culture: A Guide to Tibetan Centres and Resources throughout the World; 1993; Shambala Publications, Inc.; Boston
Eastern Turkestan Union in Europe; Eastern Turkestan Information Bulletin; 1991 to present; Munich
Dreyer, June Teufel; China's Forty Millions; 1976; Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, England
Fairbanks, John K.; The Chinese World Order; 1968; Harvard Press; USA
FitzGerald, C.P.; China: A Short Cultural History 3rd Ed.; 1969; Fredrick A. Praeger Publisher; New York, Washington
Fleming, Peter; News From Tartary: A Journey from Peking to Kashmir;1936; Charles Scribner's Sons; New York
Grousset, Rene; The Rise and Splendour of the Chinese Empire; 1962; University of California Press: Berkely and Los Angeles; Translated by Anthony Watson Gandy and Terence Gordon; First published in 1952 by Geoffrey Bles, Ltd. London
Harrison, John A.; China Since 1800; 1964; Harcourt, Brace and World Inc.; New York, New York
Hedin, Sven; My Discoveries in Tibet; August and September 1908; Harper's Monthly Magazine;
His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet; My Land and My People: Memoirs of the Dalai Lama of Tibet; 1977; Potala Corporation; New York
His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet; Collected Statements and Articles by His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet; 1986; Information Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama; New Delhi
ICT; China's Public Relations Strategy on Tibet: Classified Documents from the Beijing Propaganda Conference ; 1993; International Campaign for Tibet; Washington
ICT; Forbidden Freedoms: Beijing's Control of Religion in Tibet; 1990; International Campaign for Tibet ; Washington
ICT;Nuclear Tibet: Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Waste on the Tibetan Plateau; 1993; International Campaign for Tibet ; Washington
ICT; The Myth of Tibetan Autonomy: A Legal Analysis of the Status of Tibet; 1994; International Campaign for Tibet & the International Human Rights Law Group; Washington
Mao Tse-tung; Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung; 1967; Bantam; New York
Snellgrove, David (General Editor); Image of the Buddha ; Kodansha International / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); 1978; Japan
Snellgrove, David & Richardson, Hugh; A Cultural History of Tibet; 1995; Shambala Press; Boston.
Summerfield, John; Fodor's China: The Complete Guide with Scenic Tours and Business Travel Tips; 1994; Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc.
Sun Tzu; The Art of War; 1988; Shambala Publications, Inc; Boston; Translation by Thomas Cleary
Tuchman, Barbara; Stilwell and the American Experience in China:1911-1945; 1971; MacMillan Company; New York
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Why We Got Started
Since December of 1993, individuals concerned about the inclusion of non-Chinese exhibits in the Florida Splendid China theme park have been ignored. The legitimate concerns are that the inclusion of the non-Chinese exhibits are part of a propaganda campaign by the communist Chinese government to eliminate the cultural identity of the non-Chinese peoples. That the inclusion of religious monuments and buildings is offensive to those that hold these places sacred, that the inclusion of these same religious sites is whitewashing the People's Republic of China's true record on the issue of religious practice. Finally, that the use of the park as a destination for school-aged children's field trips is a bald-faced attempt to present Chinese history (and those of non-Chinese) in the Communist Party line.
A few letters had been sent to Mr. Ma Chi Man, the first Director of Florida Splendid China and to Mr. Sunny Yang, the new Director, to request the removal of the non-Chinese exhibits. None of these letters have been answered or acknowledged. The attempts to set up a meeting between the park officials and the concerned citizens to discuss this issue face-to-face have been ignored.
Due to this appalling record of unanswered correspondence, the concerned citizens and their friends have held protest demonstrations in front of the Florida Splendid China theme park on fourteen occasions. These protest demonstrations have been covered in the national media, and been the subject of more than a few editorials in newspapers around the state of Florida. It appears that the Director(s) of Florida Splendid China are unwilling to discuss the legitimate concerns of the citizens of our state (this also shows the true intentions of the park to present only the Chinese communist party line).
Citizens Against Communist Chinese Propaganda was formed to organize and implement a multifaceted effort against Florida Splendid China and the display of the non-Chinese exhibits in early 1995.
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Citizens Against Communist Chinese Propaganda Goals
- Removal of all non-Chinese exhibits from the Florida Splendid China theme park labeled as Chinese or re-labeling so as to meet the requirements of concerned parties.
- Cessation of public school sponsored field trips to a place labeled as the "Torturers' Theme park" by the Miami Herald.
- Education of American citizens concerning the real state of affairs within China.
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The Reasons for the Protest Against Florida Splendid China
- This theme park is attempting to rewrite history to the agenda of the Communist Chinese government. The park is part of a propaganda campaign aimed at the west.
- Many of the exhibits represent peoples whose real identity is being erased by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through action and policy. Just look at these references:
for further information.
- Religious replicas are shown even though there is little freedom for religious practice. Members of the communist party are forbidden to practice or have religious beliefs. See
for further information.
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Protest History
Protest Picture Page
12/18/93 Grand (By invitation only) Opening Namgyal monks in attendance.
12/19/93 Grand Public Opening Namgyal and Drepung monks in attendance.
Grand Opening Demonstration Page
03/10/94 Tibetan Uprising Day Wednesday Protest
03/14/94 Tibetan Uprising Day Sunday Protest
8/94 Tibetan monks and performers from Lollapalooza concert tour attend protest
12/18/94 1st Anniversary of Grand Opening
3/10/95 Tibetan Uprising Day
3/11/95 Tibetan Uprising Day Drepung monks in attendance.
12/17/95 2nd Anniversary of Grand Opening
03/10/96 Tibetan Uprising Day
Tibetan Uprising Day Protest Demonstration Page
03/16/96 Students For a Free Tibet / Taiwanese Protest.
06/02/96 Democracy Day Protest Demonstration
Democracy Day Protest Demonstration Page
June 1996 Boycott Chinese Goods and Services (including Splendid China)
07/17/96 Protest at the Grand Opening of China Town
10/13/96
Protest to commemorate the 47th anniversary of the Communist Chinese occupation of Eastern Turkestan
Protest Demonstration Page
12/22/95
Demonstration to commemorate 3rd Anniversary of Grand Opening
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What's Our Plan ?
If you have other suggestions, please feel free to send them in !
If you want to volunteer to help or start a new facet of the protest, please contact us.
- Protest Demonstrations
Our plan includes protesting on the 10th of March (Tibetan Uprising Day), Democracy Day (6/4), anniversary of the opening of China Town(7/17), anniversary of the communist takeover of Eastern Turkestan (10/13), and the anniversary of the opening of the park(12/18).
We are also considering other protests when Communist Party Officials and Diplomats visit.
Please review our Protest History, Protest Photo Archive, or take our Guided Tour of the photo archive.
- School board letter writing campaign
The ban on school-sponsored field trips has reached state-wide attention. At a Florida Teaching Professionals / NEA conference in Orlando in April of 1996, an overwhelming majority voted to ban school-sponsored field trips to Florida Splendid China. Similar resolutions were also adopted by the Pinellas County Classroom Teacher's Association as well as the local teacher's union.
Some press highlights
05/02/96
Weekly Planet (Tampa, Florida)
Splendid China Provides Tawdry History Lesson
11/06/95
The St. Petersburg Times
Teachers Rally Against Splendid China
A Pinellas educator and the teachers union want the School Board to ban field trips to the park because of its portrayal of Tibet.
11/06/95
Reuters
Clearwater, Florida to Ban the School Visits to China Theme Park
Public school teachers voted Monday
to halt student field trips to a theme park operated by a Chinese
government agency...
We urge you to write a letter to your local school board urging them to place an immediate ban on school sponsored field trips to Florida Splendid China. If you would like further information to read or present to the school board, please send us a request.
- Fax Distribution
People with access to a fax machine can obtain the latest WTN news on a daily basis. This is for people not connected to the internet and email.
- World Wide Web Activities
You are here.
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List
An FAQ is currently posted to the Internet Discussion Group 'talk.politics.tibet' on an irregular basis and is also available on the World Wide Web with a web browser application at:
http://www.manymedia.com/tibet/TibetDiplomacyIndSplendid.html
Many thanks to the folks at ManyMedia.Tibet for posting this important information. They posted the FAQ on the internet before we had a web-page and we really appreciate the help.
We also have a version that is local to AFN.
- Letters to the park
Letters to the park are encouraged.
Address your letters to:
Mr. Sunny Yang
Chairman, Florida Splendid China
3000 Splendid China Blvd.
Kissimmee, Florida 34747
- Communications
We publish a quarterly newsletter, called "A Citizens Call to Action", that is available for $10 a year. Contact us for further details.
Or you can get on our weekly emailing that covers the protest against Florida Splendid China(which contains our quarterly newsletter when mailed). Contact us for further details.
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How to Contact Us
Jack Churchward West Coast
PO Box 6812
Clearwater, Florida 34618-6812
(813)-441-3982
email: afn20372@afn.org
Bill Mitchell East Coast
1275 NW 123rd Avenue
Pembroke Pines, Florida 33026
(954)-430-9856
email: turpan@ix.netcom.com
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Statements About the Propaganda Theme park
- Statement of Thubten Samphel, spokesperson for the Office of Tibet, at the Florida Protest Against the Inclusion of the Potala Palace in the "Splendid China" theme park
- Statement on the "Mausoleum of Genghis Khan" at the Splendid China Park
- Statement of Sedeck Rouse, concerning the inclusion of the Eastern Turkestani (Xinjiang) Exhibits
- Statement of Ablajiang Baret, concerning the inclusion of the Eastern Turkestani (Xinjiang) Exhibits
- Statement of Support for CACCP and some words concerning the inclusion of the Eastern Turkestani (Xinjiang) Exhibits
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Mail Comments to afn20372@afn.org
Last updated 11/26/96
