China: Text of legislative resolution on cult ban
Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency
Xinhua (New China News Agency)
Beijing, 30th October: The 12th Session of Standing Committee
of the National People's Congress (NPC) today adopted a
resolution concerning the banning of heretic cult
organizations, prevention measures against them and punishment
for cult activities.
The following is the full text of the NPC resolution:
To maintain social stability, protect the interest of
people, safeguard reform and opening-up and the construction of
a modern socialist country, it is necessary to ban heretic cult
organizations, and prevent and punish cult activities.
Based on the constitution and other related laws, the
following decision is hereby made:
1. Heretic cult organizations shall be resolutely banned
according to law and all of their criminal activities shall be
dealt with severely.
Heretic cults, operating under the guise of religion,
qigong or other illicit forms, which disturb social order and
jeopardize people's life and property, must be banned according
to law and punished resolutely.
People's courts, people's procuratorates, public security,
national security and judicial administrative agencies shall
fulfil their duties in carrying out these tasks.
To be severely dealt with according to law are those who
manipulate members of cult organizations to violate national
laws and administrative regulations, organize mass gatherings
to disrupt social order, and fool others, cause deaths, rape
women, swindle people out their money and property or commit
other crimes with superstition and heresy.
2. The principle of combining education with punishment
should be followed in order to unify and instruct the majority
of the deceived public and to mete out severe punishment to the
handful of criminals.
During the course of handling cult groups according to
law, people who joined cult organizations but were unaware of
the lies being spread by the group shall be differentiated from
criminal elements who organize and take advantage of cult
groups for illegal activities and/or to intentionally destroy
social stability.
The majority of the deceived members shall not be
prosecuted, while those organizers, leaders and core members
who committed crimes shall be investigated for criminal conduct
; those who surrender to the authorities or contribute to the
investigations shall be given lesser punishments in accordance
with the law, or be exempt from punishment.
3. Long-term, comprehensive instruction on the
constitution and the law should be carried out among all
citizens, knowledge of science and technology should be
popularized and the national literacy level raised.
Banning cult organizations and punishing cult activities
according to law goes hand in hand with protecting normal
religious activities and people's freedom of religious belief.
The public should be exposed to the inhumane and
anti-social nature of heretic cults, so they can knowingly
resist influences of cult organizations, enhance their
awareness of the law and abide by it.
4. All corners of society shall be mobilized in preventing
and fighting against cult activities, and a comprehensive
management system should be put in place. People's governments
and judicial bodies at all levels should be held responsible
for guarding against the creation and spread of cult
organizations and combating cult activities. This is an
important, long-term task that will ensure social stability.
Source: Xinhua news agency, Beijing, in English 1239 gmt 30 Oct
99
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