I would like to take this opportunity to clarify some points about Falun Gong, which were printed last Monday in an Associated Press article published in the Collegian.

The article quotes from The Beijing Daily's opinion that Falun Gong is a political organization that supports anti-China forces.

This could not be further from the truth. Falun Gong, also know as Falun Dafa, is a form of the ancient Chinese exercise, Qui Gong. It is not a political movement.

Initially, the Chinese government promoted Falun Gong as a healthy exercise. Only when Falun Gong's membership reached 70 million — Communist Party membership is 60 million — did the Chinese government brand this movement an "evil cult."

Since the brutal crackdown on the peaceful Falun Gong practitioners began in 1999, the police have murdered more than 100 practitioners.

Tens of thousands have been arrested and tortured. This brutality has not sparked any violence or violent protests toward the government. Brave Falun Dafa practitioners risk arrest, torture and even death for their beliefs. Falun Dafa is not political.

The spiritual practices of the group center around improving one's moral character and practicing the three tenets: truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.