Laws
enforced to punish Falun Gong leaders
RULE
of law should be emphasized and the Falun Gong cult should
be severely punished, a commentary published in yesterday's
People's Daily says.
China's
top legislative body, the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress, adopted a resolution on Saturday concerning
the banning and punishing of cults like Falun Gong, the
leading newspaper says.
Courts,
prosecutors, police and administrative judicial departments
should be on full alert against cult activities and deal
with them rigorously in accordance with the law, the paper
urges.
According
to judicial explanations released by the Supreme People's
Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Saturday,
cult leaders may also be prosecuted for murder, intentional
bodily harm, rape, fraud or endangering national security
if such atrocities are found to have been perpetrated.
The
decision and the explanations are of vital importance to
the country's stability and the ongoing reform and opening
up, the paper says.
Cults
are a global problem faced by many governments in the world.
Falun Gong, headed by Li Hongzhi, is by nature a cult which
has caused many deaths and injuries.
The
central government stressed that it would follow rule of
law when it started its campaign against Falun Gong in July.
The two new documents fully reflect that idea.
It
should be ensured that the laws are strictly observed, enforcement
of laws is strict and violations of the law must be investigated
and dealt with accordingly.
The
commentary also stresses that practitioners who were unaware
of the cult's true purpose should be handled differently
from organizers and leaders, to ensure that only a handful
of criminals are punished.
The
key to guaranteeing the rule of law is to improve all citizens'
understanding of the law and knowledge of science, so that
they are aware that cults are not religious organizations.
The
nationwide campaign against Falun Gong should be continued
until the cult is eliminated, the paper urges.
(Xinhua
11/01/1999)
