Singapore police say Falung Gong can stay

Police in Singapore say followers of the Chinese spiritual group Falung Gong are allowed to operate in the island republic...as long as they obey the law.

The statement came after seven members of the group were jailed for obstruction.

Falun Gong - banned in China as an evil cult - is legally registered in Singapore as the "Falun Buddha Society."

The police statement says the Falun Gong followers broke the law because they did not obtain a required permit before holding a New Year's Eve vigil in a local park.

Six men and one woman, most of them Chinese citizens, were given one-month jail sentences earlier this week for obstructing police who dispersed the rally.