China's leading newspaper, the People's Daily, is scheduled to publish a byline commentary Friday, denouncing the evil nature of the Falun Gong cult which suborned five practitioners to set themselves on fire in Tiananmen Square on January 23.

The suicidal attempts, which left one dead and four others seriously injured, were a terrible tragedy on the eve of the Chinese New Year, says the commentator.

Similar to other evil cults worldwide, Falun Gong idolizes its ringleader, Li Hongzhi, who fled to the United States, tortures human life, endangers the whole society and infringes on human rights, the article says.

Since founding Falun Gong, Li has carried out spiritual worship for himself and disseminated malicious theories of doomsday and sin eradication among practitioners.

Li fabricates malicious fallacies and proclaims that the law of Falun is a kind of supernatural science. Under the disguise of pursuing truthfulness, goodness and forbearance, the cult leader advocates fatalism and organizes underground activities in order to subvert the government, the commentary says.

The Falun Gong cult attempts to spiritually control its practitioners, many of whom have gone too far and become maniacal, the writer says.

Before the ban on Falun Gong, many of its members beguiled by Li refused to take medicine when ill and some even committed suicide.

Official statistics show that in the last couple of years, more than 1,600 Falun Gong practitioners have died unnatural deaths throughout the country, which has affected thousands of families.

On April 5, 2000, a Falun Gong practitioner in Jiutaihe City, northeast Jilin Province, burnt himself to death, leaving only a letter to his wife and family.

In the suicide incident in Tiananmen Square on January 23, the cult bewitched a 19 year old college student and a 12-year-old girl to set themselves on fire.

The Chinese government announced on July 22,1999 that Falun Gong is an evil cult, and afterwards began operating crackdown activities.

After meticulous education and persuasion by various levels of governments, most of the Falun Gong practitioners left the cult and began to live a normal life again.

A retired shoe-maker in Baicheng City, Jilin Province, finally revealed the falsehood of Li's so-called principles such as truthfulness, goodness and forbearance.

While Falun Gong believers shed blood in China, Li and his family have led a luxurious life in the United States, with the money they gained through cheating practitioners and other benefactors, the newspaper says.

A Beijing Economics College graduate was formerly a die-hard member of Falun Gong. She gradually became suspect of her beliefs and discovered the evil nature of the cult. After learning of some incidents involving suicide, she said that she is really happy to be responsible to her family, the state and society, the commentary says.

In tandem with striking against the cult, the Chinese government is foiling Li Hongzhi's ugly attempts. The cult leader throws himself into the lap of Western anti-China forces and acts as their tool for subverting the Chinese government.

Meanwhile, he continues cheating his followers through the Internet and provokes them to sacrifice their lives for his ulterior political motives.

The suicide incident on January 23 exposed again the evil nature of the Falun Gong cult, which must be rooted out for the sake of long-term social stability and safety of the people, the commentary says.

(Xinhuanet 2001/02/02)