The Chinese Security Czar has fallen – removed from his position as chief over domestic security a few weeks ago. The Epoch Times, a newspaper with in-depth coverage on China has reported on Sunday that during a meeting that led to his removal, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao openly questioned Zhou’s connection with Bo Xilai.
Zhou will continue to serve as figurehead of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, but control over the domestic security organ has been given to Meng Jianzhu, minister of public security.
CCP leaders claim it was Zhou’s strong support for the now purged Bo Xilai that led them to demote Zhou.
In a series of cascading events since February, in particular, the attempted defection of Bo’s underling Wang Lijun to the U.S. Consulate, that exposed the Jiang Zemin faction’s plans of a coup that would seize power for themselves, and would have installed Bo as CCP president.
Zhou and Bo are bound together in their involvement in the persecution of the popular Falun Gong spiritual meditation practice. Zhou and Bo are also responsible for directing the harvesting of organs from the bodies of living Falun Gong practitioners. Former CCP leader Jiang Zemin launched the persecution against some 100 million Falun Gong practitioners in 1999. Zhou Yongkang and Bo Xilai both rose to leadership positions within the CCP as a reward for carrying out Jiang’s policies against Falun Gong.
Tens of thousands of practitioners are suspected of being victims of organ harvesting.
