TOKYO - Two Japanese followers of Falun Gong were expelled from China and a third member is believed to have been detained by Chinese authorities, the spiritual movement's Japanese branch said Sunday.
The two Japanese females returned to Japan late Saturday, said Xie Hui, a member of the sect in Tokyo. They had been in Beijing with a third follower — a Chinese female, who they fear has been arrested, Xie added.
Xie was not able give more details, and said Falun Gong will hold a news conference Monday in Tokyo.
Since Beijing banned Falun Gong in July 1999 as an "evil cult," thousands of followers have been detained in the frequently brutal crackdown.
Supporters abroad say at least 400 have been killed. Authorities deny mistreating anyone, but say some detainees have died on hunger strikes.
According to the Kyodo news agency, the group had planned to protest at Tiananmen Square in Beijing Saturday. Kyodo cited a report from the Japanese embassy in Beijing that also said the two Japanese women had been deported.
The report also said the Chinese authorities did not give a reason for the expulsions.
The Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment on the report on Sunday.
Falun Gong was founded in 1992 by Li Hongzhi, a former Chinese government clerk who later moved to New York. It has attracted millions of followers with its blend of slow-motion exercises and philosophy drawn from Taoism, Buddhism and Li's often-unorthodox ideas.