China gives details of Falun Gong punishments
China says it has punished 242 organisers of the Falun Gong spiritual movement and sent many to labour camps.
The government information is intended to counter allegations that thousands of sect followers have been imprisoned.
A Hong Kong-based rights group said at least 10,000 Falun Gong members are being held in more than 300 labour camps, with one camp for women in north eastern Changchun city holding 560.
A spokesman for China's Cabinet says 242 sect organisers have received "criminal punishment" from courts but did not say what those punishments were.
The spokesman denied reports on Falun Gong internet sites that a sect member was killed in Beijing's Tiananmen Square during a protest on January 1.
Practitioners say Falun Gong's philosophies drawn from Buddhism, Taoism but Chinasays Falun Gong is a cult that threatens public order .
Followers say the group's US-based founder, Li Hongzhi, promotes good health and moral living.
The rare announcement, relating to an 18-month crackdown, follows a major gathering of Falun Gong members in Hong Kong.
Since outlawing Falun Gong in July 1999, Beijing has infrequently provided figures on those punished by courts.
