Group Suicide Committed By the Falun Gong Followers In China

A Chinese government official said Tuesday that 25 Falun Gong members tried to commit suicide and 14 of them died at the Labor Camp in Heilongjiang Province last month.

Lan Jingli, a government judicial official in Heilongjiang Province, said that ``25 Falun Gong members attempted to commit suicide by hanging themselves, and 11 of them were immediately rescued by the camp guards in the early morning of June 20 at the Wanjia Labor Camp.`` Lan said, ``They took advantage of the gaps in patrols to hang themselves. It seems that the suicide attempt was commanded by the overseas Falun Gong leaders.``

According to the Hong Kong based Information Center for Human Rights, the Falun Gong members committed suicide since the 3-month period of the imprisonment doubled due to their hunger strike against the frequent violence within the camp. The Center also reported that at least 153 members of Falun Gong had died under the Chinese government’s suppression since China outlawed Falun Gong in July 1999. In January, 7 Falun Gong followers in Hanan Province surprised the world by setting fire to themselves in Beijing`s Tiananmen Square.

Lee Jong-Hwan ljhzip@donga.com