8/19/01 6:24 AM

BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese courts have sentenced five Falun Gong members to up to 13 years in prison for arranging gatherings of the banned spiritual group, a state newspaper said Sunday.

[...]

The cases are part of stepped-up efforts to destroy the group, which Chinese authorities banned in 1999 as a threat to [party's name omitted] power.

Those convicted of organizing gatherings in the Chinese capital were among 45 people tried by Beijing courts on Falun Gong-related charges in nine separate cases, the Beijing Daily said.

The report didn't say whether the other 40 defendants were convicted or when the verdicts were handed down. Officials of the four courts cited by the newspaper were not available for comment on Sunday. [...]

Zhang Xiongwei was sentenced to 13 years in prison for renting rooms used for secret meetings, the Beijing Daily said. Convicted with him was Li Suqin, who received three years.

Also sentenced were Yang Jiguang, who received 12 years in prison, the Beijing Daily said. Shao Qiang and Qui Xiuxing received 10-year terms.

The report didn't give any other details about the defendants.

Falun Gong drew millions of followers during the 1990s with its blend of light exercise, meditation and [...] teachings of its founder, former government grain clerk Li Hongzhi.

Falun Gong supporters say more than 250 members have died in custody. Human rights groups have accused the government of torture and other abuses, though authorities deny mistreating detainees.

Public activities have dwindled, but some members still meet in secret and print spiritual tracts.

Zhang and the other defendants also were accused of making 2,800 Falun Gong banners and printing 98,000 pamphlets, the Beijing Daily said.

Until earlier this year, Falun Gong members held almost daily protests in Tiananmen Square. Those died out as authorities stepped up their crackdown.

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?a0412_BC_China-BannedSect&&news&newsflash-international

á