Fulun Gong, the destructive cult banned by the Chinese government, has caused 1,660 deaths of its practitioners, said Liu Jing, a senior official in Beijing Tuesday.

Liu, official with the Office on Preventing and Handling Cult under the State Council, made the remark at a press conference.

Before the government ban on July 22, 1999, 136 Falun Gong followers committed suicide to achieve "perfection," as what the cult leader Li Hongzhi called for, Liu said.

Another 103 killed themselves to pursue "nirvana," he said.

Li's other disciples died from refusing medical treatment, and many killed their own family members before committing suicide, according to Liu.