AFP: Chinese Commentary Suggests Falun Gong Crackdown Has Gone Too Far

BEIJING, Feb 21, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) China on Wednesday said members of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement who repent should not be looked down upon or excluded from society, suggesting the harsh campaign against the group had gone too far.

In one of the most conciliatory official statements to be published since the ban on the Falun Gong in July 1999, the Xinhua news agency argued that a soft approach would be the best way to deal with ex-members of the Falun Gong.

"Former members of the [Chinese government's slanderous word] who have woken up must not be looked down upon by their work units, society or their families," Xinhua said. "They should be given assistance in life, employment and study."

The agency also said students who have been expelled from school for practicing Falun Gong should be allowed to return.

The statement was published as a delegation of the International Olympic Committee was in Beijing to evaluate the city's bid to host the 2008 Olympics.

Some human rights advocates have questioned whether Beijing should be allowed to host the Games, given its appalling human rights record, highlighted by the harsh treatment of the Falun Gong over the past 19 months.

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The Chinese government views the Falun Gong, which claims 70 million adherents in China alone, as the biggest threat to Communist party rule since the 1989 Tiananmen democracy protests.

The ban on the movement followed three months after it gathered 10,000 followers for a silent protest at the Communist party headquarters in Beijing. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse)