Two major Hong Kong-based newspapers Saturday voiced objection to the U.S. government's groundless condemnation of the so-called "crackdown" on Falun Gong and interference in China's internal affairs.

The Chinese language newspaper Wen Wei Po said in a commentary that all Hong Kong compatriots firmly support the solemn stand of the central government to safeguard China's sovereignty and national dignity.

"China's legal and judicial authorities' investigating and dealing with illegal cases of Falun Gong within the Chinese territory is an expression of China's sovereignty," the commentary said.

The article accused the U.S. government of interference in China's internal affairs by ordering the Chinese judicial authorities to release leaders of the Falun Gong group who have broken the Chinese laws. "It constitutes an infringement on China' s sovereignty," it noted.

The Chinese government safeguards its sovereignty and independence, the commentary stressed. Every compatriot will support China's stand of opposing any foreign interference in China's domestic affairs, it added.

The commentary pointed out that Falun Gong is an evil cult which fools and cheats comparatively poorly-educated women and senior people. Apart from racketeering, the cult leaders also agitates their followers, with the so-called "end of the world" fallacy, to take extremist activities to create bloodshed, the article said.

The anti-human, anti-society and anti-science Falun Gong evil cult also endangers social order and social ethics and attempts to mislead some followers to commit suicide or mutilate themselves, it said.

The evil cult poses severe threat to the society, the commentary said, adding that any government will punish leaders of evil cults according to laws.

The Chinese government, confirming with its laws, ordered the arrest of leaders of the Falun Gong group and banned the evil cult. The government also educated and persuaded Falun Gong practitioners to abandon the evil cult, the commentary said.

All the anti-Falun Gong measures taken by the Chinese government are milder and more civilized than those taken by the U. S. government in the prohibition of evil cults, the commentary stressed.

The commentary also noted that the U.S. government adopted " double standards" on the issue of Falun Gong. It labeled its crackdown on evil cults with tanks as an expression of their legal power while describing China's righteous fight against Falun Gong as "an violation of human rights," the commentary added.

Li Hongzhi, the Falun Gong leader who fled to the U.S., collaborated with overseas anti-China forces and willfully attacked his motherland. This also showed that the cult leader's claim that Falun Gong has nothing to do with politics is just a lie, the commentary said.

Any individual or organization who collaborates with overseas forces to jeopardize the unity and social order of China will eventually invite condemnation from the international community, the commentary said.

Ta Kung Pao, also a Chinese language newspaper, cited a Chinese government's spokesman as saying that the condemnation by the U.S. government of China's so-called "crackdown" on Falun Gong is " distorting the facts" and "making irresponsible remarks," and has constituted an interference in China's domestic affairs.

The suicidal blaze set by five Falun Gong addicts on the Tiananmen Square, not only spoiled the festive air of the Chinese Lunar New Year, but also exposed that Falun Gong has developed to the extreme of challenging social security and laws with the homicide of its followers.

The commentary pointed out that any modern and civilized country will never allow the rampancy of any evil cults, and the Chinese government should go ahead with its anti-Falun Gong campaign and safeguard its national security and people's interests.

(People's daily 2001/01/28)