(Clearwisdom.net) Analisa, one of Indonesia's leading daily newspapers, published an article on November 14, 2002 entitled "Cultivating Falun Gong Cures All Illness."

In the beginning of the article, it is stated that Falun Gong is an exercise that can both physically and mentally benefit practitioners. The exercise is one of China's ancient traditional cultivation methods. Through cultivation, practitioners can reach a healthy state of mind, body and spirit. The article says, cultivation can help the practitioners to get rid of their worries, maintain a peaceful and serene state of mind and it's apolitical. The cultivation contains one meditation exercise and four sets of exercises with some simple, slow, smooth and unhurried movements that are guided by the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance."

The reporter of the article traveled some 200 kilometers from the city of Medan to the practice site at Rantau Prapat to interview practitioners there. That practice site was established in March 2001, and during its existence of 19 months, more than 100 people from the city went there to learn the exercises. One of the practitioners, 79 year-old Muridan, is an indigenous Indonesian. He is a demobilized soldier and was once a district head of the city. Before practicing Falun Gong, he suffered from hemiplegia and high blood pressure. He said, "I have practiced Falun Gong for more than a year now. In this period of time, my illnesses are improving daily for the better. Now I can walk as I could in the past and plan to go to Jakarta to visit my son." He said, "Without this exercise, I would be unable to visit my son." Muridan also said, "The assistance center teaches the exercises for free and has never accepted a penny. There are no obligations, registrations or name rolls, and it's totally free and voluntary." He said that Falun Gong "is not a religion. There is no organization; it brings benefits and does not do harm to anybody."