More Falun Gong members die in custody, rights group says

All seven died after "persecution" by Chinese authorities, the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy said.

The family of Li Mei, 28, heard on February 1 that she had died at a "re-education through labour" camp in Hefei, Anhui province, where she began serving a two-year sentence last June, the centre said.

The family noticed several unexplained facial injuries when they saw the body of Li, who had been beaten and threatened since she was placed under "strict control" in November, it said.

Two other Falun Gong protesters, who were detained after demonstrating in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on different dates last year, died in Beijing and the northern city of Shijiazhuang.

Both showed signs of beatings, the centre said.

A Falun Gong member arrested for distributing leaflets in the northeastern province of Jilin died after an hour-long beating by police in December, it said.

Two others, who went on hunger strike while under detention, died in separate incidents in Jilin and the southeastern province of Fujian after police tried to force-feed them.

And a man from Hunan province died on January 22 while he was fleeing from police who broke into his home during his Falun Gong practice, the centre said.

The government has intensified its propaganda war against Falun Gong in the last ten days with a media campaign showing graphic images of a 12-year-old burns victim, who is one of seven alleged Falun Gong members who attempted self-immolation in Tiananmen Square on January 23.

Falun Gong leaders in Hong Kong and the U.S. denounced the suicide attempt and said the seven were not connected to the movement.

In Beijing, Falun Gong members protest almost daily against the government ban and media portrayal of it as an "evil cult".

On January 29, nine Falun Gong members were sentenced to prison terms of two to six years in Wuhan, central China, after they were convicted of downloading from the internet and distributing Falun Gong material, the centre said.

(dpa)