(October 30, 1999) The Standing Committee of the National People's
          Congress (NPC) issued an anti-cult law on October 30, 1999 to
          prevent and combat cults such as the now banned Falun Gong sect.
         
          The decision to outlaw and punish Falun Gong and other cults is
          passed at the 12 session of the 9th NPC Standing Committee, which
          opened here today.
         
          It calls on courts, prosecutors, police and administrative judicial
          organs to be on full alerts of cult activities and smash them
          rigorously in accordance with the law.
         
          Cult organizations that have destroyed normal social orders and
          stability through illegal gathering, led to the deaths of
          practitioners and rapes of women and swindled money should be dealt
          with severely, the decision says.
         
          It also stresses that deceived followers and practitioners should be
          differentiated from cult leaders. Local governments are asked to
          take necessary measures to educate those deceived while punishing a
          small number of cult leaders and those who have committed crimes.
         
          Religious cult is a problem faced by many governments in the world.
          Over the past few years, a number of cult organizations, such as
          Falun Gong and Zhu Shen Jiao (or the principal god), appeared in
          China, damaging social orders and stability.
         
          China has made great success in combating the Falun Gong cult in the
          past three months.