A Falun Gong devotee choked her nine-year-old daughter to death while trying to exorcise a "demon" from the girl's body in Yichun, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.

  Guan Shuyun, 44, killed her daughter, Dai Nan, in their home on April 22 as about 40 other Falun Gong practitioners stood by.

  Guan began to practise Falun Gong in April 1997. She was sentenced to labor education after engaging in illegal cult activities in July 2000, and was released ahead of the due date in February 2001.

  After returning home, she pretended to give up Falun Gong, but actually kept close contact with other cult members and continued to "develop" her so-called "inner spirit", Guan admitted.

  On April 19, Guan started to invite about 40 Falun Gong practitioners from other cities in the province to gather at her home. She told them she would like to share a few thoughts.

  On the morning of April 22, Guan refused to allow her daughter to go to school, saying the girl had been possessed by demon, which had to be exorcised immediately.

  Guan lifted Dai Nan on to a bed, and asked her sternly, "Who are you? Where are you from? And how much evil have you done?"   Guan kept slapping her daughter on the face, and asked others to join in the beating despite the girl begging for it to stop.  

  When Dai Nan cried for help, Guan said the demon was speaking.Guan then began to clutch Dai's throat tightly and asked other Falun Gong members to come forward and hold Dai still.

  With Guan fiercely clutching her daughter's throat, no one dared to stop her for fear of being possessed by the demon. Some just knelt down, some retreated to the corner and some just stood by looking.

  Guan also forbade others to come close to her daughter. She said if the child was moved, the demon would move out again and prevent them from "flying to heaven."

  When Dai Keqin, Guan's husband came back, he found their daughter dead, but Guan called on others to tie Dai Keqin. Until noon, Dai escaped from the house and reported the case to the police.

  Before Guan began to practise Falun Gong, she and her husband had a good living by selling salted vegetables. They led a contented life with their daughter.

  However, after Guan began practising Falun Gong, her family's well-being was totally ruined. She no longer went to sell goods and gave up on the daily chores, and frequently quarreled with her husband.

  "It is Falun Gong that has killed my daughter," said Dai Keqin,crying as he spoke to Xinhua. "Even shooting all of them could not vent my anger."

  The People's Daily, China's leading newspaper, will carry a commentary titled "Falun Gong has no humanity" on May 13, denouncing the tragedy and Falun Gong. Enditem