Chinese Government Denies U.S. Report of Worsening Religious Freedom

Reuters: China slams U.S. Religious Freedom report Tuesday October 30, 2001 BEIJING (Reuters) - China slammed an annual U.S. report on International Religious Freedom on Tuesday, saying its criticisms of China had distorted the truth.

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The U.S. Department of State released its Religious Freedom Report on October 26 and included references to China's efforts to control religious groups to prevent challenges to one-party [party name omitted] rule.

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The report also said China's respect for freedom of religion and conscience had worsened between July 1 2000 and June 30 2001, especially for some unregistered groups and spiritual movements such as Falun Gong.

China has branded the Falun Gong, [...], an [Jiang Zemin government's slanderous term omitted], banned it and tried to stamp it out.

Thousands of adherents have been sent to labour camps, a punishment which does not require a trial.

Earlier this month, Beijing and Washington re-started a human rights dialogue put on ice after U.S. jets on a NATO mission bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999.

Relations between the United States and China have improved, at least on the surface, since the world's most populous nation threw its weight behind the U.S.-led war against terror in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the United States.

But Chinese state media have said that differences remain including views on Taiwan, human rights and missile defence.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/reuters/asia-69190.html

Dow Jones Newswires: China Attacks US Report On Worsening Religious Freedoms

October 30, 2001 BEIJING (AP)--China Tuesday sharply criticized a U.S. State Department report that said its respect for religious freedoms worsened over the past year. [...]

The annual U.S. report, released Friday, said China intensified its repression of the Falun Gong spiritual movement and other groups that the government has banned as [slanderous term omitted]. The report covered a period from July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2001. The report noted that while China's constitution promises religious freedom, the government limits religious practice to officially sanctioned groups and places of worship and controls the growth and scope of religious groups. [...]

BBC: Beijing attacks US religious report

Tuesday, 30 October, 2001

Beijing has denounced a US State Department report, which found that religious repression had increased in China over the past year.

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The state department's annual international religious freedom report said that Beijing had intensified its repression of the banned Falun Gong [group], and other groups it regarded as [slanderous term omitted].

The US report said the atmosphere created by the campaign against the group had a spillover effect on unregistered churches, temples and [...] in many parts of China.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/asia-pacific/newsid_1627000/1627745.stm