"The cult is anti-humanity and impairs people's right to life," Gao added.

Gao, a former engineer, was a deputy secretary of the Party commission for discipline inspection of the Anhui Electric Power Design Institute before he retired. He began to practice Falun Gong in 1993 and later became deputy head of the Falun Gong promotion station of Anhui, east China.

He regretfully recalled what he did and felt after he woke up with the help and education of the Party and the government.

"Since the legal ban on Falun Gong was declared last July, the Party and government bodies have done a lot of reeducation and conversion work to help Falun Gong practitioners including me," Gao said. Gao lived in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province.

Gao took a firm stand to turn away from the cult and to discontinue working for it shortly after the cult ban. But his stand continued for just about a year.

As Gao did not really realize the evil essence of the cult from the bottom of his heart, he sometimes still thought the cult's messages were somewhat good, such as asking practitioners to stick to "truthfulness, compassion and forbearance," let go of fame, money and affection, to stay away from politics, to abide by law and regulations and to care about others' welfare. Therefore, it was not surprising that Gao did not really understand the significance and necessity of the government's crackdown on the Falun Gong.

On August 1, 1998, a local reporter came to interview Gao with a view to exposing Falun Gong cult. Gao told the reporter his story, which was published.

But Gao wrote an assertion rejecting the story after it was carried by local media. His reversal was made use of by Falun Gong activists and was publicized on the Internet. "I understood later that my going back on my words supported Falun Gong and interfered with the government's efforts against the cult."

"This event caused great harm to the nation, my working department and my family, and I felt a great deal of regret," Gao noted.

After he read the commentary by Xinhua News agency recently, Gao came to realize that some Falun Gong diehards have caused a lot of trouble to the country and the society. "They defy laws, disturb and undermine festival occasions, holidays and ceremonies, vilify the Party and the government in collaboration with some anti-China forces overseas."

"In deed they did not truly adhere to the principle of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance," Gao pointed out

Earlier this year, a young woman, together with several Falun Gong practitioners from northeast China's Jilin province came to Tian'anmen Square. In an interview with Beijing press, she alleged that she is a goddess and has no parents. But this self-titled goddess deserted her badly ill father at home, who was in great need

"This proves that Falun Gong made people obsessed and go out of their minds," Gao said after watching the TV story.

The most shocking story for Gao was the appalling suicide attempt by seven Falun Gong practitioners including a 12-year-old girl in Tian'anmen Square on the eve of China's traditional lunar new year.

Gao said in order to the pursue so-called "nirvana", they should have resorted to an "extremely ridiculous way" and set themselves on fire.

"I felt most upset that it was two mothers who misled their daughters to the disaster," Gao recalled.

"Our government did otherwise," Gao said.

In re-education and conversion attempts, the government tried to save the victims' lives at any cost, "made patient and painstaking efforts to educate, instruct and reclaim those obsessed with the cult, and helped them shake off the spiritual yoke by the evil cult," Gao said, stressing that "This is the real respect of human rights."

"Thinking over my past and looking into my future, I have realized that only those who thoroughly rectify their errors can lead a brilliant and happy life. I wish to advise those obsessed cult followers to wake up immediately and return to their life as ordinary and normal people," Gao said.

(China Central Television 02/15/2001)