"I am from Heaven, from the universe, from another space."

A female Falun Gong follower said this with full composure and clarity of mind in an interview with the Beijing Evening News on Monday.

Nobody would take pleasure from reading what she said unless one believes in such absurd cult behaviour. If there still is suspicion, then follow her on:

"Master (Li Hongzhi) gave me my soul. Master said all human beings fell from Heaven. Why did we fall? Because we have not cultivated ourselves well. We cannot return to Heaven unless we behave in accordance with truthfulness, virtuousness and forbearance."

Falun Gong addicts make the same statements when they try to defend the twisted idea of transcendence.

Humanity is the synonym of sin and thus deserves destruction, "Master Li" admonishes.

Li Hongzhi has brainwashed not only Falun Gong followers - a monstrous evil has been planted in the minds of the woman and her like by their leader - but also a number of Westerners who have difficulty understanding Li's unfathomable preaching.

If some are swindled by the so-called truthfulness, virtuousness and forbearance on Li's gospel, there are some who have their eyes on the cult's alleged value. The farce of Li's nomination for the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize is a case in point.

It does not matter to them whether Li's disparaging of science and claim of infinite foresight are valid.

It does not matter to them whether Falun Gong is as tolerant as Li claims it is. Falun Gong did not come into prominence before its followers besieged media outlets to suffocate criticism. Li has ordered his followers to "go beyond the limits of forbearance," and his rhetoric has been growingly apocalyptic as the authorities take moves against his cult.

It does not matter to them whether Falun Gong depends on lies to mislead public opinion. Li ardently denied the existence of a nationwide Falun Gong network a year ago. His spokesman, however, emphasized in all sincerity that all Falun Gong followers are registered in a closely organized network when they tried to clear themselves from the recent sensational self-immolation of some Falun Gong addicts on Tian'anmen Square.

It does not seem to matter to them what damage Falun Gong has done to practitioners, their families and society as a whole.

Neither does it matter that China is not the sole country that has to exert control over cults. Recall the Branch Davidians, a cult that went up in flames during a siege by US federal agents. The Chinese Government is not the first to declare a high-profile crackdown on cults.

What matters is Falun Gong's increasingly obvious political ambition against the Chinese Government.

Li has called on his followers to resort to "various measures at different levels" to counter the government's anti-cult moves.

That certainly does not exclude self-immolation. And often people die.

(China Daily 02/16/2001)