A spokesman for the State Administration of Religious Affairs today refuted the slander about China's religious situation in the 2000 Report on International Religious Freedom by the US State Department.

"The report vilifies China's policy of religious freedom by distorting facts and spreading rumors," the spokesman said, stressing that the US government is "grossly interfering in China's internal affairs" under the pretext of religion, and that China is "extremely indignant" about it.

The US report, completely disregarding the true nature of Falun Gong cult and its damage to the society, blamed China's crackdown on the cult, "this is extremely ridiculous and unreasonable," the spokesman said.

Falun Gong, an evil cult, is directly responsible for the deaths of more than 1,600 followers who committed suicide, or died from refusing medical care because cult leaders told them to, he said.

Another 651 became mentally ill and thousands upon thousands of families were shattered, the spokesman said.

The Chinese government has maintained that the majority of Falun Gong practitioners have no idea about its cultic essence. They have been cheated and finally become victims of the cult, the spokesman said.

Chinese government has adopted a policy of persuasion, education and protection toward these people without discrimination or exclusion, which has helped most of them rid themselves from the psychological control of the cult, according to the spokesman.

The government has been dealing with the Falun Gong cult in accordance with the law, showing extreme tolerance in persuading and helping the victims, and its efforts are irreproachable, he said.

"Should we protect human rights by following suit with the US government -- sending armored vehicles, helicopters and cannons in to deal with cults?" the spokesman asked.

The spokesman pointed out that the US report has been based on rumors and lies.

He cited the example of Xu Yongze, mentioned in the report, who was sentenced to prison for breaking the penal codes of China but has served his term and been released. Another person, cited in the report, Su Zhimin, was once detained for disrupting social order.

The report claims that the release of the two has been postponed or their whereabouts are unknown. "This is not true," the spokesman said.

Jia Zhiguo, who has been engaged in some improper activities, has not been given any criminal punishment at all because he has not committed a crime. But in the report, Jia was described as having been arrested even though he was innocent. The truth is that "Jia has always been leading a normal life," he noted.

The report also said that after the young Garmaba, a living buddha of Lamaism, left China, his temple, the Tsurphu Monastery near Lhasa, was closed and tourists are forbidden to visit.

In fact, the temporary closure of the Monastery was because renovation was being done to a valuable fresco. Pieces of the fresco have been falling off, seriously damaging the building, and it was closed for restoration in response to experts' proposals and the Monastery reopened shortly after the renovation was done, he said.

"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 spokesman said, adding that "This bad habit should be addressed."

The spokesman also pointed out that the so-called suppressing the underground Catholic churches and family gatherings of Protestants in China is groundless.

The Catholic Patriotic Association of China and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of China uphold the same religious beliefs as other Catholic churches across the world, he said.

Over the past 10 years and more, there has been an annual increase of up to 50,000 Catholic followers and there is no need for them to go "underground," he said.

China fully respects Bible study gatherings of Protestants, usually attended by relatives and friends, in which they pray and discuss the Bible, and never interferes in their religious activities, according to the spokesman.

The government does not require religious followers to register their family gatherings with regulatory bodies, does not restrict or interfere with their normal religious activities, he said.

The spokesman pointed out that the US report does not really say anything new, but is merely "playing the same old string."

It just quotes stories and rumors that have been clarified and refuted, which shows that the United States doesn't truly care about religious freedom, it just wants to interfere in other countries' internal affairs and seek hegemonism.

"Such deeds should naturally be unpopular," he said.

(Xinhua)