A/55/280 world, sects multiply and proliferate like a cancer in society. No responsible government can adopt a laissez-faire attitude to sects which threaten not only the people’s physical and mental health but also public order. Throughout the world, countries such as Japan, Australia, Belgium, Germany, France and the United Kingdom are tightening up their legislation and their supervisory mechanisms in order to keep a closer watch on sects. The measures taken by the Chinese Government, in accordance with the law, against the illegal activities of Falun Gong and its leader are such as any country would take. China has acted with full respect for the law and the action that it has taken in the vast majority of cases has been, above all, to persuade and educate followers of Falun Gong, not to take any coercive measures against them. So long as they leave the Falun Gong organization and do not get involved again in any of the sect’s activities, they will be left undisturbed. To help the Special Rapporteur to a better understanding of Li Hongzhi and the way in which Falun Gong is organized, we enclose a copy of a book entitled Li Hongzhi and his Falun Gong: How they deceive the public and destroy lives. Russian Federation 62. With regard to anti-Semitic attacks (see document E/CN.4/2000/65, para. 35), the Russian Federation condemned the rampant anti-Semitism in many parts of the world, including countries with an established democratic tradition. As for the anti-Semitism that has occasionally surfaced in the Russia Federation but is rejected by society as a whole, stress was laid on the fact that the Russian authorities were showing firmness in dealing with extremist organizations that advocated exclusion based on national identity or religious convictions. 63. Reference was made to the priority given to such legislative measures as the bill brought before the State Duma in June 1999 to tackle political extremism and the current drafting of a bill to combat ultranationalism. Under a presidential decree, approval has been given to an advisory document on combating political and religious extremism in the Russian Federation, to provide support for a federal programme currently in preparation to cover the period 2000-2005. The Government of the Russian Federation has also approved a plan of action aimed at promoting tolerance and preventing extremism within Russian society. 64. During the autumn of 1998, the President and Government of the Russian Federation were unanimous in their strong criticism of the policies advocated by the member of parliament Albert Makashov and of the bid by the extremist organization Russian National Unity to hold its congress in Moscow. On 13 November 1998, the State Duma adopted a declaration on the inadmissibility of actions or policies that might damage relations between national groups in the Russian Federation. At the end of June 1999, the President again urged the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation to step up its struggle against political parties and other forces in the country that promoted extremist opinion and engaged in illegal and anti-constitutional activities. On 2 August 1999, during an interview with the Israeli Prime Minister, the President of the Russian Federation stated: “Our country’s policy is to condemn anti-Semitism strongly and to combat ruthlessly all its various manifestations.” 65. Attention was also drawn to the various measures taken to oppose the activities of Russian National Unity, including the prohibition of its holding its congress in Moscow or Belgorod, the banning of the organization itself and the removal of its status as an artificial person by the Butyrskii district court in April 1999. 66. In January 1999, the Procurator-General issued guidelines for various bodies in the Russian Federation on the action to be taken to prevent the dissemination of any literature bearing Nazi symbols. It was stressed that the effectiveness of this move was already obvious because the open sale of nationalist and extremist publications in towns up and down the country had practically ceased. 67. The authorities have publicly condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the acts of vandalism in Novosibirsk; an inquiry is under way. It was added that the local authorities were doing all they could to enable the Jewish community to live normally. In Moscow, investigations have been carried out after two explosions near the town’s two synagogues. An inquiry is in progress. The Chief Rabbi of the main Moscow synagogue has stated his conviction that these attacks were not directly aimed at the synagogues and attributed them to the general increase in criminal 15