Relying solely on rumors and lies to accuse other governments and interfere in internal affairs of other countries is a mistake repeatedly made by the US State Department report. The Communist Chinese government requires Christians to worship only in state-controlled associations, including the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which eschews any connections to the Vatican or the Pope. Many Catholics worship in illegal, underground churches, following only bishops appointed by the Pope. Seeking to stifle meditation sects similar to the banned Falun Gong, China published rules Friday prohibiting exercise groups from preaching religion and strictly limited their size and activities. Teachers of the traditional Chinese exercise qigong must register and be certified by sports officials, according to a copy of the rules that appeared in the state-owned China Sports Daily.
Groups have to be small, dispersed and locally organized, the rules say.
Activities with more than 200 participants require police permission. The government has rounded up its leaders and winnowed the group's numbers but failed to break its organization. They will not be permitted to organize in state-run companies, government offices, schools, military bases and other sensitive establishments. Practitioners Given Forced Injections - Nanchang practitioners were sent to a mental hospital, and given forced injections for two months, causing harm to their central nervous systems. In a Sack - A female practitioner was brought to the village officials, handcuffed to a tree for 24 hours, and paraded through the streets, for participating in Falun Gong activities.