Cai Shuliu, a former ardent practitioner in Shanghai, said: "from the very beginning the participants were trapped by Li Hongzhi's doctrine and soon after alienated themselves from their families and ordinary life."

"We were so innocent that we just do whatever Li said in his book even though our action has infringed upon the law," Cai said.

After being detained last year for illegally distributing Falun Gong brochures, she received help and counseling to help her break away from the psychological control the cult had on her.

"Then I gradually found out what a terrible mistake I had made and how silly I was," she said. "It is a shame that Li took advantage of so many ordinary people for his own evil purposes."

Liu Lan, a self-employed businesswoman in Heshan of south China 's Guangdong Province, was even more stubborn when she started practicing Falun Gong nine years ago. "I can remember clearly how unruly I was even when I first came to the penitentiary," she said. "It is the real evidence of Falun Gong's crimes along with the thoughtful concern from the penitentiary staff that changed my mind."

Recalling her past experience with Falun Gong, Liu said she was simply living a nightmare and now she is awake. "It is really stupid to be pious about such a cult," she added.

She also wants people to see through the tricks of Falun Gong and keep away from it.

The Chinese government has made great efforts to ban the Falun Gong cult. So far, many Falun Gong followers in China have realized the cult's nature and Li Hongzhi's tricks.

Thanks to the government's help, many innocent people, especially women, children and the elderly, have been saved and have gone back to normal lives.

As the absurdities of Li Hongzhi's religion were exposed, the evil nature of Falun Gong, which is anti-science, anti-humanity and anti-society, is fairly evident.

Li said Falun Gong practitioners don't have to take medicine if they are ill because they possess a special ability to cure themselves by using the principles of Falun Gong through exercises the cult prescribes. But those exercises have proven to be ineffective leaving thousands of Falung Gong followers seriously ill or dead because they refused medical treatment.

Li claims that Falun Gong is not an organized group, but his teachings impinge on the practitioners' psyche, overpowering them as if they were tied down with invisible chains and could not move.

The ringleader also misled practitioners with his distorted " Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance," which sway many people to commit suicide or self-mutilate themselves to reach so-called " nirvana," which is part of his doctrine.

Inconsistency and self-contradiction in Li's remarks and behavior reveal fallaciousness and malicious, which has been recognized by more and more former followers who turned away from and renounced Falun Gong.

Chen Xihua, a woman in south Hainan Island, began practicing Falun Gong in 1999 when she was not in good physical condition in hopes that by practicing it she could cure her illness.

To her disappointment, Falun Gong did not perform miracles like she had been told and her illness got even worse.

"I did not take medicine or injections like Falun Gong instructed, and I refused my husband's suggestion to go to hospital," Chen said.

Until July 1999 the time Falun Gong was declared illegal by the government, Chen came to realize that she was cheated by the Falun Gong with the no-medicine trick. She went to the hospital where her illness was cured.

"The Falun Gong is a completely evil thing, and I'm determined to stay away from it," Chen spoke.

In contrast to claiming that Falun Gong was not an organized group, Li set up his Falun Dafa (an alternative name for the Falun Gong) Research Association and smaller groups of practitioners across the country and overseas, for a close and effective administration.

In addition, the cult leader attempted to control followers with absurdities Li invented himself, like eschatology, the ruin of the earth, and touting his "Magic Power." Li even claimed that he was supervising Falun Gong followers anywhere and at any time both physically and psychologically.

"Li Hongzhi stole terms and concepts from religious sects and traditional Chinese Qigong to polish his fallacies, misleading people to follow and consequently become bewitched and off one's trolley," exposed Cai Rongxia, a former Falun Gong practitioner in Shanghai.

At Li's command, some 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners gathered around the Zhongnanhai Compound, office site of China's top leaders, to protest against the media's exposure of Falun Gong's pseudoscientific nature in April 1999.

"Li's denying of knowing the besiege he plotted by himself betrayed his hypocrisy and was against his claim of being almighty, " said Mu Dengke, a former Falun Gong member in north China Hebei Province.

Those people who should have lived a happy life were subject to domination of the evil cult and those happy families became broken once one or more family members became obsessed with Falun Gong, noted Liao Wenbin in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region.

The truth in many tragic stories happened to Falun Gong practitioners and innocent people have been unveiled despite Li's beguiling advocation of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, " Liao added.

(Xinhua 05/22/2001)