USA Today: China imprisons 37 for promoting Falun Gong

03/02/2001

BEIJING (AP) China has sentenced 37 people to prison on charges of promoting the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement through gatherings and handbills, the government's Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.

The sentences of up to 10 years were given on Thursday by five courts in and around Beijing, Xinhua said in a brief report.

One alleged follower, Xue Hairong, received a seven-year sentence on charges of downloading articles about Falun Gong from the Internet to reproduce and distribute. The same court gave shorter sentences to four others, Xinhua said.

The rest were sentenced by four courts in the city's suburbs for allegedly organizing illegal gatherings and printing and distributing Falun Gong materials. Court officials refused comment or could not be reached.

Chinese authorities have reacted angrily to international criticism of their 19-month crackdown on the [group], saying other countries have also suppressed "[Chinese government's slanderous word]." ...

Falun Gong drew millions of followers in the 1990s with ... the teachings of founder Li Hongzhi, a former government clerk now living in the United States.

Human rights monitors say at least 112 people have died during the crackdown. Falun Gong puts the figure at 155, and on Friday it claimed four more deaths.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2001-03-02-falongong.htm