China: Falun Gong a global threat July 24, 2002 Posted: 2:02 AM EDT (0602 GMT) Falun Gong has spread to over 50 countries since it was founded in the early 1990s, the group's Xiao said By Andrew Demaria CNN HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Beijing has taken its nationwide campaign to discredit the Falun Gong movement to an international stage, calling the spiritual group a threat to civilized society all over the world. Speaking to reporters in his first news conference as spokesman of China's embassy in Washington, Xie Feng said the Falun Gong "cult has never stopped breaking [the] law and committing crimes." The latest step in China's battle against the Falun Gong, which Beijing now brands as a quasi-terrorist sect, follows the alleged hijacking of state-run satellites to broadcast pro-Falun Gong propaganda last month by group members based outside the country. "By openly and deliberately attacking the Sinosat in contempt of international laws and the regulations, the Falun Gong cult was unscrupulously breaking the order of wireless communications and launching a challenge against civilization," Xie said in Washington on Monday. "The international community should unite in condemning and punishing this cult," Xie said. Xie's comments mark a noticeable shift in the focus of Beijing's crusade against the Falun Gong, analysts say. In past anti-Falun Gong propaganda salvoes, the emphasis had been on the damage the group had allegedly done to the health of gullible worshippers and their relatives. But now Beijing is moving the battleground to an international level, looking to put pressure on Western governments, like the United States, which had allowed Falun Gong cells to recruit new members and raise funds in their countries of exile, analysts say. (Full story) Falun Gong, based on traditional Chinese religions and martial arts and focussing on the principles of compassion, truthfulness and tolerance, acquired millions of followers in the mid-1990s before it was banned by Beijing in July 1999 and denounced as an "evil cult." Since it was outlawed, thousands of members have been detained and activists based outside China claim hundreds have died in custody. Claims rejected Falun Gong claims to have as amny[many] as 100 million members in China prior to the 1999 ban [I believe that, because when I was in China I saw many people without anyhting else to do] A Falun Gong spokesperson has rejected Xie's claims as another unsubstantiated slanderous attacks made by Beijing in the three years since it began its crackdown on the group. "All these accusations are groundless. Where is the proof?" Sophie Xiao, spokeswoman for Falun Gong in Hong Kong told CNN. "What you have seen in the past three years is the most peaceful, non-violent demonstrations [by Falun Gong followers] in the world. Compassion, truthfulness and tolerance -- that's the essence and universal characteristics of Falun Gong." Xiao also said there was no evidence that the satellite broadcast hijacking in June had been perpetrated by Falun Gong members, arguing that the level of sophistication to tap into the signal was too complex. "Nobody could rightly think it was us," Xiao said. "They are looking for international sympathy for their three years of brutal persecutions against millions of people." Back to the top © 2002 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. An AOL Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us.