BEIJING, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Visiting U.N. human rights chief Mary Robinson clashed publicly on Tuesday with a Chinese official over Beijing's treatment of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.
Liu Jing, head of a new cabinet anti-cult office, accused Robinson of ignorance.
"I think her problem is that she has too little understanding of the Falun Gong cult," he told a news conference, comparing members to drug addicts.
But Robinson, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, stood her ground.
"It's very clear that the human rights of Falun Gong members are being transgressed at the moment here in China," she told a separate news conference hours later.
"My message is that it is important for the Chinese authorities to bear in mind at all times that individual Falun Gong members have human rights that must be respected regardless of how China approaches Falun Gong itself," she said.
Robinson urged China this week to scrap its re-education through labour system, used to punish many Falun Gong followers without trial since the group was banned in 1999.
INTERNATIONAL CONCERN
China's 19-month battle with the group has sparked international concern about violations of religious freedom and civil liberties, and was highlighted in a U.S. State Department rights report issued on Monday.
The People's Daily, mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, ran an editorial on Tuesday calling for the "complete elimination" of Falun Gong.
"The Falun Gong cult is the same as a spiritual drug," Liu said. "It does as much harm to its practitioners, especially the devout ones, as drugs."
He accused the United States of using the issue to interfere in China's internal affairs.
Falun Gong was responsible for the deaths of 1,660 people, of whom 139 had committed suicide as a result of the "heresies" of its U.S.-based leader Li Hongzhi, Liu said.
Liu also denied reports by human rights groups that more than 100 Falun Gong followers had died in custody in mainland China.
"This is simply an old trick played by Li Hongzhi and the Falun Gong cult," Liu said. "They always spread rumours and confuse black and white."
Falun Gong, which is based on elements of Taoism, Buddhism and traditional Chinese meditation and exercises, says none of the Chinese accusations is true and it is a non-political movement aimed only at improving people.
SELF IMMOLATION PAMPHLETS
Liu accused the United States of making "wanton accusations" about China's crackdown on Falun Gong.
Washington, which will propose a resolution censuring China at a U.N. rights meeting in Geneva next month, was "turning a blind eye to the danger and harm caused by Li Hongzhi, and a deaf ear to the heretical fallacies preached by Li Hongzhi."
"This can only prove their real motive is to capitalise on this issue to use human rights as a pretext to interfere in other countries' internal affairs," Liu said.
The cabinet information centre also distributed a glossy pamphlet laying out the official version of how five purported Falun Gong followers set fire to themselves on Tiananmen Square last month.
One died and the rest are still in a serious condition in hospital.
"According to the police investigation, the incident was a shocking and absurd action taken by 'Falun Gong' practitioners who had been incited and spiritually controlled by Li Hongzhi in the hope of reaching 'fulfilment' and going to the 'heavenly kingdom'," the pamphlet said.
07:08 02-27-01
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