A top Chinese Buddhist leader, speaking on behalf of China's religious circles, said yesterday in Beijing that the government's ban on Falun Gong is justified and lawful because the group is a cult rather than a religion .

"The evil Falun Gong fault simply exploits and distorts religious notions in an effort to pass as religion,'' Shi Shenghui, member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and vice-chairman of the Buddhist Association of China, said at the plenary meeting on the current session of CPPCC yesterday.

Shi pointed to the group's appropriation of the concept of Falun, or the Buddhist Wheel of Law, which is a sacred symbol for the Buddhist belief system. In the hands of cult founder Li Hongzhi, Shi said, the Wheel of Law becomes a tool for the deception of innocent people.

The religious leader said Falun Gong has offended all religious believers in China with this theological thievery.

Worse, the cult's misapplication of religious ideas has led to tragedies, Shi said, referring to cases in which Falun Gong members have died by refusing medical treatment or tortured themselves in the belief that they would attain perfection.

The evil cult has also openly asserted that no laws require adherence.

By indulging in these anti-human, anti-society activities, the evil cult has violated the law, disrupted the social order and jeopardized the interests of the people, Shi argued.

Given the cult's disregard for either the social order or human life, he said, the government's ban is a just and righteous step designed to safeguard the interests of the people.

The Chinese Government has banned the cult since July 1999.

"Legitimate religious activities are protected by law in China. But this evil cult must be eradicated to guarantee the people have a chance to live a happy life,'' he said.

The religious leader called on people in religious circles to unite to fight ?MDNMˉFalun Gong and maintain the social order.