China Refutes US Vilification of Religious Situation in China A spokesman
for the State Administration of Religious Affairs today refuted the slander
about China's religious situation in the 2000 Report on International
Religious Freedom by the US State Department.
"The report vilifies China's policy of religious freedom by distorting
facts and spreading rumors," the spokesman said, stressing that the US
government is "grossly interfering in China's internal affairs" under the
pretext of religion, and that China is "extremely indignant" about it.
The US report, completely disregarding the true nature of Falun Gong cult
and its damage to the society, blamed China's crackdown on the cult, "this
is extremely ridiculous and unreasonable," the spokesman said.
Falun Gong, an out-and-out evil cult, is directly responsible for the
deaths of more than 1,600 followers who committed suicide, or died from
refusing medical care because cult leaders told them to, he said.
Another 651 became mentally ill and thousands upon thousands of families
were shattered, the spokesman said.
The Chinese government has maintained that the majority of Falun Gong
practitioners have no idea about its cultic essence. They have been cheated
and finally become victims of the cult, the spokesman said.
Chinese government has adopted a policy of persuasion, education and
protection toward these people without discrimination or exclusion, which
has helped most of them rid themselves from the psychological control of
the cult, according to the spokesman.
The government has been dealing with the Falun Gong cult in accordance with
the law, showing extreme tolerance in persuading and helping the victims,
and its efforts are irreproachable, he said.
"Should we protect human rights by following suit with the US government --
sending armored vehicles, helicopters and cannons in to deal with cults?"
the spokesman asked.
The spokesman pointed out that the US report has been based on rumors and lies.
He cited the example of Xu Yongze, mentioned in the report, who was
sentenced to prison for breaking the penal codes of China but has served
his term and been released. Another person, cited in the report, Su Zhimin,
was once detained for disrupting social order.
The report claims that the release of the two has been postponed or their
whereabouts are unknown. "This is not true," the spokesman said.
Jia Zhiguo, who has been engaged in some improper activities, has not been
given any criminal punishment at all because he has not committed a crime.
But in the report, Jia was described as having been arrested even though he
was innocent. The truth is that "Jia has always been leading a normal
life," he noted.
The report also said that after the young Garmaba, a living buddha of
Lamaism, left China, his temple, the Tsurphu Monastery near Lhasa, was
closed and tourists are forbidden to visit.
In fact, the temporary closure of the Monastery was because renovation was
being done to a valuable fresco. Pieces of the fresco have been falling
off, seriously damaging the building, and it was closed for restoration in
response to experts' proposals and the Monastery reopened shortly after the
renovation was done, he said.
"Relying solely on rumors and lies to accuse other governments and
interfere in internal affairs of other countries is a mistake repeatedly
made by the US State Department report," the spokesman said, adding that
"This bad habit should be addressed."
The spokesman also pointed out that the so-called suppressing the
underground Catholic churches and family gatherings of Protestants in China
is groundless.
The Catholic Patriotic Association of China and the Catholic Bishops'
Conference of China uphold the same religious beliefs as other Catholic
churches across the world, he said.
Over the past 10 years and more, there has been an annual increase of up to
50,000 Catholic followers and there is no need for them to go
"underground," he said.
China fully respects Bible study gatherings of Protestants, usually
attended by relatives and friends, in which they pray and discuss the
Bible, and never interferes in their religious activities, according to the
spokesman.
The government does not require religious followers to register their
family gatherings with regulatory bodies, does not restrict or interfere
with their normal religious activities, he said.
The spokesman pointed out that the US report does not really say anything
new, but is merely "playing the same old string."
It just quotes stories and rumors that have been clarified and refuted,
which shows that the United States doesn't truly care about religious
freedom, it just wants to interfere in other countries' internal affairs
and seek hegemonism.
"Such deeds should naturally be unpopular," he said.
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China's Contribution to Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons Hailed
Visiting Deputy Director General of the Organization
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons John Gee
praised China for its implementation of the
convention on prohibition of chemical weapons.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua Tuesday, Gee
said that China has done one of the best jobs among
all countries in implementing the Convention on the
Prohibition of the Development, Production,
Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their
Destruction.
China has played a constructive role in the
organization, he said.
Gee said that China has established a complete
network for carrying out the convention. China is the
only country in the world that has set up
corresponding organizations in all localities at the
provincial level to deal with the issue, Gee said.
He spoke highly of China's cooperation with the
organization in inspecting relevant enterprises and
collecting information.
Gee said that he is very concerned about the chemical
weapons left by Japanese troops during World War II
in Nanjing.
He urged the Japanese government to settle the
problem as soon as possible in accordance with the
relevant agreements reached between China and Japan.
He said that the Organization is willing to offer
necessary help to China on this issue.
Gee has toured Beijing, Nanjing, Chongqing, Wuhan,
and Shanghai to study the issue of chemical weapons
left by Japanese troops during WWII and the
implementation of the convention by Chinese chemical
enterprises.
He also attended a seminar on the implementation of
the convention in Beijing.
The convention took effect in 1997. China is one of
the founders of the Convention.
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