E/CN.4/2000/65 page 8 Cape Verde 23. In July 1998, three Seventh Day Adventists were reportedly arrested after being accused by the police of setting fire to and stealing from Catholic churches. Despite the apparent lack of evidence, two of the accused are said to be still in detention and the third to have been released pending a trial that has been postponed several times. 24. In a detailed reply, Cape Verde explained that there had been a wave of desecrations of Catholic places of worship since 1990, that two persons had been identified as a result of in-depth investigations and that, in judicial proceedings, the suspects had been released pending a decision by the Appeal Court. It was stated that the religion of the accused persons had never been raised as an issue in that case, even by the persons concerned. It was concluded that Cape Verde was characterized by its culture and tradition of tolerance and religious freedom, as reflected in its legislation. China 25. It is alleged that, in October and November 1998 and January 1999, in Henan province, the security services arrested members of Protestant congregations not recognized by the authorities. 26. China replied that the 1998 October meeting had been illegal and had seriously disrupted normal production and living conditions for the local population. It was explained that, under article 19 of the Public Security and Administrative Offences Regulations, the local public security authorities had arrested three persons and detained them for 15 days, while eight other persons who had taken part in the gathering had not been subjected to any coercive measures. With regard to the November 1998 gathering, China stated that an illegal gathering of over 120 persons had been organized by five aliens, who had been cautioned by the local public security authorities in accordance with the Regulations Governing the Religious Activities of Foreign Nationals in China. No coercive measures were taken against the Chinese participants in the gathering. The allegations of ill-treatment had been rejected by the authorities. In connection with the January 1999 arrests, the authorities expressed the opinion that the lack of detail in the communication made it impossible to conduct an investigation. China also recalled that its legislation guaranteed freedom of religion and that all penalties were based not on religious belief, but on offences against the rules on maintaining public security, disrupting public order and adversely affecting other persons’ lives. 27. According to other communications, in January 1999, the Tibetan Communist Party Propaganda in Lhasa reportedly launched a three-year campaign to promote atheism in order to undermine the influence of Buddhism and the Dalai Lama. In Beijing, in April 1999, over 10,000 members of the Falun Gong movement are said to have demonstrated in protest against the arrest of a number of their fellow members who opposed the ban on their leader’s writings. The activities of Falun Gong are also reportedly banned in a number of towns in the north east. In July 1999, the police reportedly organized a series of raids in at least 17 cities against members of Falun Gong, destroyed statues of the community’s founder and carried out arrests. In May 1999, in the province of Hebei, the authorities allegedly organized a campaign to suppress underground Catholic organizations. A priest celebrating mass in a private home was