Gao Mingxuan, vice-president of the China Law Society and professor at the University of Political Science and Law, said that situations in other countries show that the most commonly used and the most effective method to deal with the cult problem is by means of law.

China should learn from the successful experience of other countries and use the existing rules and civil, criminal and administrative laws to fight the cults more effectively, Gao said. The country should increase the strength of the judiciary and be strict in enforcing laws to deliver a heavier blow to the cult organizations and their activities, he said.

Zhuang Fenggan, president of the China Anti-Cult Association and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said cult activities are extremely harmful to the society. An improved legal system and a system to guard against cults should be formed as soon as possible to combat their illegal activities at the outset, he said.

Experts said that education and punishment ought to work together.

Efforts should be made to educate and reform the majority of ordinary members of cult organizations, while the heads of cult organizations and a handful of diehards should be severely be punished, the participants said.

Meanwhile, the participants suggested, efforts should also be made to increase the public's awareness of the harm of cults and improve people's ability to fight cults by force of law.

At the two-day forum, experts and scholars discussed such issues as punishing Falun Gong organizations in accordance with the law, theoretical and practical issues in combating and preventing cult activities and related instances on how foreign governments have dealt with cult organizations. They also discussed ways to improve legislation, the judicial system, law enforcement in order to maintain social stability and a long-term peace and order.

(People's Daily 07/17/2001)