At least 136 Falun Gong followers had killed themselves, before July 22, 1999, the day when the cult was outlawed by the Chinese government, Xinhua said, citing "incomplete statistics".

Falun Gong, headed by Li Hongzhi, has led numerous people to death on their way toward "nirvana", by bewildering followers with words stolen from lawful religions, such as "the doomsday", "being raised to the skies" and "nirvana".

During their investigation, the reporters found many tricks used by Falun Gong to cheat its followers.

For instance, the cult asks its practitioners not to take any medicine when they fall ill. Taking drugs would lead to accumulation of "Yeli", or bad things, in the patient's body, according to Li's instructions.

Liu Yazhen, a retired woman worker from Zhaoyuan County, Heilongjiang Province, refused to take drugs, when she was diagnosed as suffering from nerval dysfunction. "The 'Master of Falun' does not allow me to take medicine," she insisted, "He must come to my rescue when my illness becomes severe."

Later, Liu became suspicious of Falun Gong as her illness worsened, but was told by her counselor, "The 'Master' is helping you to 'Xiaoye (eliminate bad things)'. If you stop practicing Falun Gong, you'll be punished."

At mid-night June 29, 1997, the woman drowned herself for being unable to stand the pain caused by her illness.

In their study, the reporters came to learn that many of those who committed suicide started to learn and practice Falun Gong only with the motive to live a healthier and better life.

Miao Shuyun, a woman practitioner from Qidong County, Jiangsu Province, ate one of her own fingers and jumped to her death in a well on May 2, 1999. "My 'Yeli' is too heavy," she often said, "so I must commit suicide to wash off my sin."

Many of the suicidal Falun Gong followers were found to have been lured by the so-called "Truthfulness", "Kindness" and " Tolerance" advocated by the cult leader.

On August 11, 1998, Li Hongwu, a 28-year-old practitioner, plunged to his death from a hundred-meter-high cliff in the suburbs of Kunming City, the provincial capital of Yunnan Province.

Li was a university graduate and worked as translator for the provincial sports commission. Since he began to follow Falun Gong in 1997, the young man strictly followed Li Hongzhi's instructions by refusing to eat meat, allowing mosquitoes to bite him freely, stopping having sex with his wife, and distancing himself from his daughter.

Li was often found lowering his head, staring blankly, and murmuring to himself in talks to the "Master". Li prohibited any conduct that may affect his "exchanges with the Master" or hamper his efforts to reach "Nirvana".

The reporters found that one of the most fatal instructions of the cult leader is the so-called "Doomsday".

Li Hongzhi, the cult founder, has said that the human society has suffered 81 periodic changes. "Upon turning back, you will see that today's human society is very horrible. It is really horrible, " he said, "the human being will face destruction, a complete destruction, if they keep sliding down. That is to say: nothing left and very horrible!"

The cult leader has called himself the almighty "Savior" and said that he is the only one who can help raise the people to skies and that "Falun Dafa" is the "extraordinary law" to rescue all human beings. "If I don't help raise you to skies, nobody can help you do that," he has said.

On July 17, 1999, Long Gang, a restaurant owner in Chongqing City, carrying his six-year-old son, jumped off a bridge and drowned, but luckily his son was rescued by his family members and neighbors.

Long was a faithful believer of Li Hongzhi's "Doomsday" theory. Before Long's death, he often told others that the earth was going to be destroyed and that he was afraid of it and wanted to fly up to the skies to avoid the catastrophe.

Li Weidong, a farmer from Liaoyang City, Liaoning Province, and Xu Huijun, a woman worker from Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, are also victims of the "Doomsday", the reporters found.

On February 5, 1998, Li hanged himself at noon, after telling his family members including his 89-year-old mother that the Heaven was going to break down and the earth was going to sink within two hours.

on the early morning of May 31, 1999, Xu jumped to her death from the window of a sixth-floor room. The day before the morning of her suicide, the woman was out of her senses and repeated sayings like "We're in danger and I'm leaving first," and "The Earth is really going to be destroyed."

(Xinhua 03/20/2001)