Former Falun Gong follower Teng Chunyan, a US green card holder, was released from jail more than one month earlier than prison term Wednesday morning for regretting for her crimes.

Teng, 40, was born in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, and went to the United States in 1990. She came back to China with a Chinese passport in May, 2000 and was sentenced to a three-year imprisonment by the Beijing Municipal No.1 People's Court on December 12, 2000 for illegally collecting and sending intelligence for overseas organizations.

While in jail, she showed repentance for her crime under the education by police and finally freed from the yoke of Falun Gong cult.

Teng said, "The change of my ideology is from the bottom of my heart."

In an interview with Chinese and overseas reporters on the first day of being released, She said, "Falun Gong is an out and out evil cult. I am willing to tell the truth to the public and reporters."

Asked about the life in jail, Teng said, "I lived a substantial life in the prison. Policemen educated me with reasons and emotion, which made me know what is kindness."

A prison guard said Teng led a regular life in prison. She often read newspapers and loved to take part in physical and recreational activities. She also persuaded other Falun Gong followers to apart from Falun Gong.

Teng had interviews with Chinese and overseas reports on three occasions when in imprisonment, exposing the evil nature of Falun Gong cult with her experience.

Teng Yuben, who greeted the release of his daughter Teng Chunyan, said, "Falun Gong had turned my daughter from a human being into a devil and the government has turned her from a devil into a human being again."

Teng Chunyan said, "I am very happy and exited to see my family members upon going out of the jail."

In response to a question about her future life, Teng said, "I will lead a regular life with my family members. If Falun Gong cook up stories again, I will tell people the facts, which are not like the propaganda the Falun Gong cult has made."

Huang Qinghua, an official in charge of the ward where Teng had stayed, said Teng abided by prison rules, accepted transformation and had showed repentance, which tally with the terms of penalty reduction. The Beijing Municipal No.1 People's Court reduced her penalty in accordance with the law.

(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2003)