GENEVA, Mar 21, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Several hundred followers of the Falun Gong religious [group] protested against their persecution in China again on Tuesday as a Human Rights Commission meeting was held at UN European headquarters.

The members of Falun Gong, which is banned in China, carried out meditation exercises in silence outside the building in a repeat performance of a demonstration by about 800 supporters on Monday.

Members of the group handed out leaflets saying that tens of thousands of men and women have been arrested, beaten, tortured and locked up in mental asylums in China. The leaflet claimed that more than 160 people have died in prison.

Although China's human rights record is a yearly theme at the Commission, Beijing has repeatedly used a procedural measure to avoid being condemned.

The UN Human Rights Commission, made up of 53 members, meets here until April 27 to carry out studies and prepare recommendations on human rights and look into allegations of violations. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse)

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