Cult under close watch

Police are keeping watch on a move by the Falungong cult in Thailand ahead of an international meeting to be held here in April.

Deputy interior permanent secretary for security affairs Veerachai Naewboonnian said the Special Branch police in Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai had been asked to keep watch on Falungong followers there but there was no report about any irregularities yet.

Beijing did not want a Falungong meeting to be held in Thailandin April as scheduled for fear that Thailand would be used by the cult asa base to slander other countries, he added.

According to him, Thai authorities did not regard the move by Falungong here as problem but had to wait and see to find out what would be discussed at April's meeting and if the cult would pose threats to national security.

The cult is illegal in China.