A commentary to be published Wednesday by China's leading newspaper People's Daily describes the Falun Gong cult as a tragedy maker on earth and China's ban of the cult as a great move to protect human rights.

The commentary says that, on July 22, 1999, the Chinese government began to launch the righteous move to save the lives of Falun Gong practitioners, stemming the cult for the benefits of the general public.

"It's a day mixed with sorrow and happiness," says the commentary.

By sorrow, the commentary says that by that day, over 1,400 practitioners had lost their lives because of practicing the cult, among them, 136 enticed by Li Hongzhi, leader of the cult, committed suicide.

By happiness, it is a day when the doomsday of the cult came, says the commentary.

If the cult has not been banned, the number of Falun Gong victims might have risen by many times. Many people of insight, mass media and the public had appealed for the ban long before the day, it says.

"The Chinese government bans Falun Gong according to law and the will of the people, a move to protect the people from being plunged into an abyss of misery and to bring peace to families."

"It was the greatest action in contemporary society to safeguard human rights," the commentary says.

Citing cases of three suicides committed by three female Falun Gong practitioners, the commentary says Falun Gong, like other cults, is a tragedy maker in the world.

"To safeguard normal social order and the fundamental interests of the people, the Falun Gong cult must be rooted out," the commentary says.