Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan on Thursday rejected a US Congress resolution on the Falun Gong cult, expressing China's indignation and resolute opposition to the resolution.

The House of Representatives passed a resolution raised by a few anti-China Congressmen who demanded the Chinese government cease the so-called "persecution" of Falun Gong practitioners, he said.

Kong Quan said the Ros-Lehtinen resolution ignored facts, openly abetted the Falun Gong cult, and smeared the Chinese government and Chinese diplomats in the United States.

China had made solemn representations with the US government to express China's resolute opposition to the resolution, he said.

The facts had shown that the Falun Gong was an anti-humanity, anti-society and anti-science evil cult organization, and was responsible for many cruel killings and crimes, he said.

Kong said the Chinese government banned the Falun Gong, brought a small number of lawbreakers to justice, and educated most Falun Gong followers with the aim of protecting fundamental human rights and freedoms of Chinese citizens, and of safeguarding the solemnity of China's constitution and laws.

He added that the action of the government had won firm support from all Chinese people.

The intentions of some US Congressmen in backing Falun Gong while defaming the Chinese government were "very vicious," he said.

Kong said the cult was a common vermin to humanity and deserved to be cracked down upon by all nations. The double-standard towards the cult would be opposed by fair-minded people around the world.

China had repeatedly advised some US Congressmen to get a clear understanding of Falun Gong's nature as a cult and its motivation to sabotage China-US relations and friendship between the peoples of the two countries, and not to interfere in China's internal affairs, Kong said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2002)