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Around the World

China gov't arrests 111 Falun Gong

A spokesperson for the State Council, or Cabinet, said the government is employing a range of lesser punishments on a far larger number of followers, which helps explain the significant discrepancy between the official government arrest total and figures cited by human rights groups and Falun Gong followers. The Hong Kong-based Information Center of Human Rights and Democratic Movement in China reported Sunday that authorities have sentenced more than 500 people to labor camps.

Most Falun Gong practitioners who have come to Beijing in recent weeks to protest the official ban on their group have not been arrested but rather "picked up, given re-education and sent back to their hometowns," said Li Bing, deputy head of the State Council's information office. He acknowledged that two sect members died while in custody, but he denied allegations that the authorities were responsible.

Local police have applied administrative punishments such as pretrial investigative detention, house arrest and "re-education through labor," which, under Chinese law, require no trial. Li did not provide statistics on how many Falun Gong followers had been given administrative punishments.

But as officials admit, such measures have not fazed hard-core disciples of the group, which combines Buddhist and Taoist beliefs with deep-breathing exercises. Another State Council official said that more than 60 percent of the followers sent home by officials later made their way back to the capital.

The 111 arrested face charges of using a cult to obstruct the law, stealing state secrets, "disturbing social order" and engaging in illegal business activity. Many of the stolen secrets mentioned in the state press appear to be government plans on how to deal with Falun Gong, which disciples in government leaked to their brethren.

The officials also denied allegations by human rights groups and Falun Gong followers that local police beat some members to death.

While acknowledging the existence of police brutality in China, Li emphasized that no sect followers have died in police custody.

"There have been no cases of beatings or inhumane treatment in the handling and education of Falun Gong followers," he said.

Reading from official reports, Li said that Zhao Jinhua, a female disciple who Falun Gong followers said was beaten to death by police, in fact died of a heart attack during her "re-education." Li also confirmed the death of student Chen Ying, who jumped to her death from a train while being escorted home by government officials. Li denied reports that Chen was still handcuffed when she jumped.

Pope seeks ties with Orthodox Church

On a visit that pointed to the difficulty in reaching his goal of closer links among Christian denominations, the pope was greeted by Georgian Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II and President Eduard Shevardnadze on his arrival from India.

They embraced the pope, and the pope and the patriarch later appeared in the 11th-century cathedral walking down the center aisle shoulder-to-shoulder.

In his public remarks, the patriarch failed to follow up on John Paul's call to move for "renewed fraternity between us and toward a more truly shared witness to Jesus Christ the gospel of eternal life."

The patriarch said he hoped the visit would bring political advantage to Georgia by focusing attention on the Caucasus republic of 5.4 million people, attract economic aid and strengthen ties to Europe.

Although he praised John Paul and Shevardnadze, a former Soviet foreign minister, for their roles in bringing down communism in Europe, the patriarch never specifically mentioned the ecumenical ue.

On Tuesday, the pope is scheduled to celebrate Mass for the country's small Roman Catholic community of about 50,000 people.

Local newspapers quoted two Orthodox priests as urging their flock to keep away from the Mass, saying their participation would be sinful under the doctrines of the Orthodox church. There was no official confirmation from the patriarchate of this position.

Upon arrival at the airport in Tbilisi, the capital, the pope said he was convinced ''we must build new bridges so that with one heart and mind Christians may together proclaim the Gospel to the world.''

The frail 79-year-old pope, no longer able to bend down and kiss the ground as he once did upon arriving in a country for the first time, blessed a basket of Georgian earth held up by two children.

He then reviewed a military honor guard as four cardinals stood behind him as buffers against the wind in a chilly afternoon.

Welcoming his guest, Shevardnadze said ''the Georgian people never lost their faith in God'' during the long years of communist rule.

Some in the Georgian church opposed the pope's visit as part of general suspicions over Vatican missionary activity in formerly communist lands that were traditionally Orthodox.

In May, John Paul made the first visit of his 21-year papacy to a predominantly Orthodox country - a trip to Romania that the Vatican hailed as a success.

The pope is hoping that the visit to Georgia and continued contacts can lead to a trip to Moscow, which up to now has been vetoed by the Moscow patriarch.

John Paul acknowledged there had been tensions with the Georgian church, but added that ''the awareness of a common Christian vocation has never faded completely.''

11-09-99