Anyone interested in follow-up on this should check out Ken Cohen's substantial and level-headed article on Falun Gong on the Qi Journal website (http://qi-journal.com/Qigong.asp?-token.SearchID=Is%20Qigong%20Political). Ken Cohen is a highly-respected qigong expert, and author of several books and videos on the subject. The Qi Journal website also includes an interesting and even longer reply/rebuttal from a practicing Falun Gong member (http://qi-journal.com/Qigong.asp?-Token.FindPage=1&-Token.SearchID=Falun%20Gong:%20A%20Way%20of%20Cultivation%20Practice).