Falun Gong was declared illegal in July, and many of the sect's leaders have since been detained by Chinese authorities     VIDEO CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon interviews members of Falun Gong Windows Media 28K 80K

August 18, 1999
Web posted at: 11:17 a.m. EDT (1517 GMT)

From Beijing Bureau Chief Rebecca MacKinnon

BEIJING (CNN) -- A decade after the 1989 pro-democracy movement was crushed in a government crackdown in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square, China's Communist Party feels threatened by a very differing movement: The outlawed Falun Gong meditation sect.

China declared Falun Gong illegal in July after thousands of sect members surrounded government offices in 30 Chinese cities in the wake of a crackdown on sect leaders. Thousands of followers have been detained, and scores of Falun Gong leaders are in custody.

But many members have vowed to carry on Falun Gong, which mixes meditation with Buddhist mysticism.

"Our teacher taught us to love our enemies," one member said.

One group of followers -- all from different parts of China - - is promising to stay in Beijing to defend Falun Gong, which they say has cured their health problems and made them better people.

"One day our leaders will understand us," one man said.

Though Falun Gong followers are forced to go underground, most traditional breathing exercises and groups remain legal

These days, however, former practitioners continue to denounce the sect on state television, and people are required to sign statements renouncing Falun Gong to keep from losing their jobs, another sect member said.

"But they still practice secretly at home," she added.

Most kinds of traditional Chinese breathing and meditation exercises remain legal, as do other, more unusual groups that gather every morning in China's parks. But most of these groups want nothing to do with Falun Gong.

"Falun Gong is no longer just about health," said one man. "Of course they should be banned."

While the sect may have been driven out of parks and other public places, its followers pledge to keep their faith alive underground, until they finally reach national acceptance.

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.