06/02/2001

BEIJING, June 2 (AFP) - A former university teacher has been arrested for using the Internet to distribute promotional material on the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, state media reported.

Wang Zhenyong, a 30-year-old former assistant professor at Southwestern Normal University's psychology department, downloaded four articles on the Falun Gong from an overseas website in December last year, according to the Chongqing Daily seen in Beijing on Saturday.

Wang, staying in the southern boom city of Shenzhen after being sacked from the university over his Falun Gong activities, subsequently emailed the four articles to a former colleague, the paper said.

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Police apprehended Wang's colleague and after questioning him, they set off for Shenzhen to arrest Wang as well, the paper said.

China banned the Falun Gong movement in July 1999 and launched a massive crackdown which saw leaders jailed for up to 18 years and thousands of followers sent to prison or labor camps.