DATE=4/25/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-FALUN GONG UPDATE (L)
NUMBER=2-261682
BYLINE=LETA HONG FINCHER
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Scores of members of China's banned spiritual
group, Falun Gong, have been arrested in Beijing's
Tiananmen Square as they tried to mark the anniversary
of a mass protest last year. V-O-A's Leta Hong
Fincher has this report from Beijing.
TEXT: Hundreds of plain-clothed and uniformed
policemen monitored Tiananmen Square, detaining the
Falun Gong demonstrators as soon as they appeared.
Witnesses say protesters emerged from crowds to
practice their meditation, or to raise small banners
decorated with words from their spiritual movement.
Policemen moved in immediately, pushed the protesters
into waiting vans and drove them away.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said at a
news briefing that he had no knowledge of any
protesters being arrested. But he said the
government's ban on Falun Gong activities was for the
protection of the masses.
/// SUN ACT - IN CHINESE, ESTABLISH THEN
FADE ///
Mr. Sun said the Chinese government has already
achieved decisive success in its struggle against
Falun Gong. He said that of the original two-million
practitioners, more than 98 percent have recognized
what he termed, "the true character of Falun Gong" and
broken away from the group.
On April 25th of last year, about 10-thousand Falun
Gong followers staged a mass sit-in around the
headquarters of the Communist Party to demand
recognition of their movement. The Party leadership
responded by banning the group. Some of the
movement's leaders have been imprisoned for up to 18
years.
Last week, China's state-run media stepped up its
campaign to discredit the group. The Chinese
spokesman accuses the group's founder, Li Hongzhi, of
trying to destabilize the country.
/// SUN ACT IN CHINESE, ESTABLISH THEN
FADE ///
Mr. Sun Yuxi accuses Falun Gong of collaborating with
foreign anti-China forces, acting as their political
tool and pursuing anti-China activities.
Falun Gong poses an especially serious threat to the
Beijing government because it claims to have between
70-million and 100-million followers, some of whom are
Communist Party members. (SIGNED)
NEB/LHF/FC/JP
25-Apr-2000 06:41 AM EDT (25-Apr-2000 1041 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
NEWSLETTER
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|