BEIJING (AP) - Beijing police on Friday denied reports in state newspapers that they are investigating whether foreign journalists knew in advance and helped plan a suicide protest on Tiananmen Square.
``There's no such thing,'' said police spokesman Liu Wei in reply to a written question about whether such an inquiry was under way.
The Associated Press, Cable News Network and Agence France-Presse have denied they had prior warning of the Jan. 23 incident, as claimed in two state-run newspapers that said the news organizations did nothing to stop the demonstration although they knew of it in advance.
Five people who the Chinese government says were followers of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement set themselves on fire. One died and four others - including a 12-year-old girl - were seriously injured, state media said.
Falun Gong denies they were genuine practitioners.
But Xinhua, China's government news agency, on Friday described some of the protesters as remaining committed to Falun Gong despite their burns. Two - described by Xinhua as protest organizers - have refused food and medicine in the hospital, it said.
``I will resume my meditation,'' Xinhua quoted Hao Huijun as telling a doctor. ``It will be better than receiving your treatment.''
Hao, 47, has fasted twice for a total of 60 hours, Xinhua said. The other alleged organizer, Wang Jindong, has been transferred to a police hospital, the agency said, a possible sign he may face criminal charges.
The 12-year-old, Liu Siying, also is ``greatly influenced'' by Falun Gong but told a nurse she regrets setting herself on fire, Xinhua said. It said 19-year-old Chen Guo also expressed regrets and no longer wants to discuss the sect.
On Wednesday, the state-run Yangcheng Evening News said foreign reporters could face homicide charges if they took part in planning the protest. The claim appeared Tuesday in another state newspaper and has been on Chinese Web sites.
No AP reporters or photographers were on Tiananmen Square when the protest took place. AFP said its journalists were not there. The protest occurred on the eve of Lunar New Year, China's biggest holiday.
A producer and cameraman for CNN who witnessed the protest were detained briefly and police confiscated their videotape. CNN said it received no advance notice of the protest and that its crew was checking the square because protests often occur on holidays.
State media portray the suicide attempt as proof of government claims that Falun Gong is an evil cult in league with Western enemies of China.
Falun Gong also has become an irritant between Beijing and the Bush administration. China has warned that U.S. criticism of its often brutal 18-month crackdown on the group could harm relations.
On Friday, Xinhua accused Washington of double standards. The United States used force against the Branch Davidian sect in 1993, but China's crackdown on Falun Gong has ``met with gratuitous criticism from American officials,'' Xinhua said. ``Where's the logic in that?''
Falun Gong had millions of followers in China before it was banned in 1999. The government says it threatened communist rule and led 1,700 practitioners to their deaths. Falun Gong insists the group is a peaceful health and meditation movement with no political agenda.