Incomplete calculations indicated that the heavily blasted Falun
          Gong organization has led to 1,660 deaths, announced an official
          Tuesday during a news conference on China's handling of the cult.
          Liu Jing, person in charge of the Office for the Prevention and
          Handling of Cults (OPHC) under the State Council, said that before
          the organization was officially banned on July 22, 1999, 136 Falun
          Gong practitioners had committed suicide at the instigation of Li
          Hongzhi, ringleader of the cult, who called for his followers to "go
          to the Heaven" and "achieve real completion."
          After the official ban, another 103 persons killed themselves as a
          result of Li Hongzhi's heresies.
          Meanwhile, the cult has destroyed the harmony of many families,
          ridding many of love and happiness. It has misled a large number of
          obsessive followers to refuse medical services, commit suicide or
          even kill innocent people.
          "Facts show that Chinese Government's ban on Falun Gong is a
          necessary move to maintain social stability and safeguard
          fundamental human rights at the request of Chinese people. It
          completely abides by the law," said Liu Jing.
          Liu also said that Chinese Government will try its best to educate
          and help Falun Gong practitioners to get out of the spiritual
          shackles of the cult. Legal punishments are only exerted on those
          cult followers who conduct crimes violating social stability and
          endangering human rights of other individuals.
          "It is rather difficult to liberate obsessive cult followers from
          the addiction. In this regard, we wish to strengthen ties and
          co-operation with foreign anti-cult institutions, and take
          appropriate measures to protect Chinese people from the harm of
          cults," Liu said.
          The OPHC head also said that China is not the only country that
          declared war against cults. It is a responsibility that every
          responsible government should shoulder.
          However, some forces have turned a deaf ear to the misdeeds of Falun
          Gong and used the issue as a pretext to interfere with China's
          internal affairs. Such behaviors are absolutely unacceptable, Liu
          stated.
          (People's Daily 02/27/2001)