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Taiwanese actress in China harassed for attending Shenyun performance 9 years ago

18 year old Ou-yang Nana has been targeted by netizens and Chinese govt. agencies for attending the show associated with Falun Gong

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File photo: Ou-yang Nana

File photo: Ou-yang Nana (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – An 18 year old Taiwanese actress and musician working in China, Ou-yang Nana (歐陽娜娜), has become a target of harassment by Chinese netizens, for her alleged support of Taiwan Independence, despite declaring that she recognizes herself as Chinese in a recent Facebook post.

On March 21, Ou-yang stated in a post to social media that she was proud to be Chinese. However, many Chinese netizens balked at her statement, declaring her an opportunist, and pointing out that she had not renounced her Taiwanese citizenship.

The actresses post was in response to reports that Ou-yang had attended a dance performance in 2010 that was staged by the famous Shenyun Dance troupe, which is affiliated with the Falun Gong religious group.

Ouyang along with her mother and sisters attended the Shenyun performance in New York City when she was only nine years old. A photo of the family taken almost ten years ago at the show was dug up by the State Council's office for dealing with cult activity and shared to their official Weibo account.

The post denounced Ou-yang and her family for going to the show, and condemned the Shenyun performance as cultist indoctrination posing as traditional Chinese culture. The Chinese Public Security Bureau (公安局) even shared the post on their official Weibo, which officially named Ou-yang Nana, reports Apple Daily.

The post sparked a renewed wave of anger and harassment among Chinese netizens who have now accused her of participating in cult activities.

On Friday, March 22, several official Weibo accounts under China's State Council released posts containing the following statement.

"Any individual or group in Taiwan, regardless of what they have advocated in the past , if they acknowledge the '1992 Consensus' and recognize that Taiwan and the mainland belong to the same China, and do not engaged in two-faced schemes, then (the government) accepts their activities in China."

Taiwanese actress in China harassed for attending Shenyun performance 9 years ago
While the post does not mention Ou-yang specifically, most observers recognize it as an official response to the controversy surrounding the young performer. Despite the implicit suggestion that those who accept the 1992 consensus are welcome in China, some reports have already concluded that the prospects for Ou-yang Nana's career in China have been greatly diminished due to the controversy, reports CNA.

Ou-yang Nana’s father is Long Ou-yang (歐陽龍), who is a spokesman for the Kuomintang (KMT). He has also become a target of Chinese netizens, with many speculating he is also a secret supporter of Taiwan Independence.

Long Ou-yang made a statement last night to media, and said the Shenyun performance happened a long time ago. He said that he hopes the harassment targeting his daughter will stop so that she can move on with her career, reports Apple Daily.

Liberty Times reports that the Taiwan office of the Falun Gong organization issued a statement in response to the furor, declaring that having religious beliefs and appreciating art are not criminal acts.

Ou-yang Nana was interviewed by CCTV on Saturday for comment on the accusations. She claimed that her previous Facebook post expressing her pride in being Chinese reflected her true feelings. She said that only hopes to “make the motherland proud.”

Taiwanese actress in China harassed for attending Shenyun performance 9 years ago

(The Shenyun dance troupe will be performing in Taipei at the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in mid-April. Tickets are available here. )