overseas media on Falun Gong

Zhang Kunlun, an accomplished sculptor, said Li Hongzhi, founder of the cult, has been trying to control Falungong followers, cheating money from them and letting people confused in mind.

A citizen of the People's Republic of China must abide by the country's laws and regulations, he said.

Zhang, from Shandong Province in east China, was sent to Canada as a visiting scholar for further study on public money between March 1989 and April 1996. During his stay in Canada, he began to practice Falungong in an attempt to keep fit. Zhang was appointed director of the sculpture institute of an arts school in Shandong after he returned home.

When the Chinese government banned the Falungong cult according to law, Zhang, incited by Li Hongzhi and his cult, printed and spread a large number of materials about the cult. For offense acts against public order, Zhang was sent for reeducation through labor by departments concerned in accordance with the law.

Under the Chinese law, reeducation through labor is a compulsory administrative measure meant for educating those who commit slight offenses.

With the patient and meticulous help and education from the provincial reeducation department, Zhang came to know the facts that Falungong has posed a severe threat to society. He realized the evil motives of Li Hongzhi and the nature of the cult. At the same time, Zhang was looked after well and his high blood pressure lowered to normal level.

He said Li Hongzhi has set numerous traps for followers of Falungong to control their mind and behavior. Li Hongzhi claims he is the highest god of the world and it is only he who can save the world.

It is necessary to expose the true face of Li, Zhang said.

According to Zhang, nominally, there is no organization within the cult, however, a lot of organizational work has been done through secret channels. "Otherwise there would not be the large- scale disturbances created by Falungong followers."

Zhang said he will break all ties with the Falungong cult and act within the laws.

As the cult has brought endless pains to many families, every Falungong follower should repent of their behavior and distance from these evil things. He also expressed the hope that Falungong would "disappear as soon as possible."

Due to his good behavior and sincere repentance of his law- breaking activities during the period of reform through reeducation, Zhang was released on January 10.

While Zhang is gradually gaining a clear understanding of the nature of the Falungong cult, Falungong organizations overseas are spreading rumors that the Chinese government "detained without reason" Canadian citizen Zhang Kunlun in an attempt to internationalize the issue. They also rumored that Zhang was tortured.

Zhang Kunlun is hundred-percent a Chinese citizen. A native of Huantai County, Shandong Province, Zhang had long served as teacher of the arts school. Though he obtained the Canadian citizenship during his study in that country, he entered China in 1996 on Chinese passport. Under relevant agreement between China and Canada, whoever enters China on Chinese passport should be treated as a Chinese citizen and the Canadian government does not enjoy the right of consular protection over him. Meanwhile, Zhang has publicly reaffirmed and stated that he is Chinese and asked to maintain his Chinese citizenship.

Zhang once said at a meeting that the police at the reeducation center treated him very kindly and actually carried out the principle of being "warm-hearted, patient and sincere" toward those who undergo reeducation through labor, just like teachers toward students who have made mistakes, like parents toward sick children, and like doctors toward patients.

"I'd like to express my gratitude to leaders and police officers in the center," he said. "They respected our dignity, and took good care of our lives. I felt at home."

A farmer's son, Zhang has become an accomplished specialist in sculpture. He said that apart from his own efforts, it is the aid and training of the Party and government that have helped him gain the achievement. He said he feels grateful to the Party and government.

(Xinhua)