1996年7月24日，新闻出版署发出了《关于立即收缴封存〈中国法轮功〉等五种书的通知》，根据新闻出版署《关于不得出版宣扬愚昧迷信的图书的通知》（〈８９〉新出图字第３３８号）的有关规定，认定《中国法轮功》（军事谊文出版社出版）、《转法轮》（中国广播电视出版社出版）、《转法轮（卷二）》（中国世界语出版社出版）、《法轮大法义解》（长春出版社出版）、《神通大法——李洪志和中国法轮功》（沈阳出版社出版）五种书借传授练功之名，宣扬迷信及伪科学，决定立即予以收缴、封存，不得继续销售。

　　1996年8月16日，新闻出版署决定对华龄出版社出版的繁体竖排１６开精装本《转法轮》予以收缴查处。

　　1998年6月5日，新闻出版署同意广东省新闻出版局对花城出版社出版的《法轮佛法》进行查禁处理。

　　1999年6月1日，新闻出版署同意青海省新闻出版局对青海人民出版社出卖书号、违规出版的《转法轮法解》、《法轮佛法——在悉尼讲法》、《法轮佛法——在欧洲法会上讲法》、《法轮佛法——在北美首届法会上讲法》４种书进行查禁处理。

　　1999年5月10日，新闻出版署对吉林教育音像出版社出版的《李洪志济南讲法》录音带、录像带，黑龙江音像出版社出版的《大圆满法——功法教学》等音像制品、电子出版物作出了查禁处理。

　　此外，新闻出版署、全国“扫黄”办部署各地新闻出版管理机构、“扫黄”办对有关法轮功的非法出版物进行了严肃查缴。

　　现在重申，所有有关法轮功的出版物一律不得重印（复制）和发行；非法出版的有关法轮功出版物，一经在市场上出现，应立即予以收缴；今后，出版单位不得出版、报刊不得刊载有关介绍、宣扬法轮功的书稿、文稿、图片、音像制品和电子出版物，印制单位不得印刷复制，发行单位和个人不得发行销售，如有违反者，一经发现，一律依法予以查处。

　　中华人民共和国新闻出版署

　　1999年7月22日

China bans publications on Falun Gong

　　The Chinese government enforced its ban on publications on Falun Gong, which Chinese authorities have said is an illegal organization that was officially banned on July 22, 1999.

　　Falun Gong was founded by Li Hongzhi, a Chinese national who lives abroad, based on traditional Qigong exercises, which combine meditation and breathing techniques to use one's vital force and inner strength to improve health.

　　However, Li had ulterior motives and pronounced himself the savior of the world and spread heretical, unscientific ideas among Falun Gong practitioners. He also manipulated them and got them to attack the news media and government departments, causing great disruptions in the social order and seriously destabilizing society.

　　The Press and Publications Administration in Beijing issued a circular stating that no publications related to Falun Gong can be reprinted, copied, or distributed, and that any publications on Falun Gong that appear on the market are to be confiscated immediately and publishers in China are to stop publishing books, pictures, audio and video products, and electronic publications related to Falun Gong, and newspapers and magazines are to stop carrying articles or photos of Falun Gong activities.

　　The circular says that individuals are not allowed to print, copy, distribute, or sell publications on Falun Gong and that any violation of the ban will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

　　The circular says that China actually began the crackdown on Falun Gong publications as early as 1996. On July 24 of that year, the Press and Publications Administration issued a circular banning sales of "China Falun Gong" and 4 other similar books. The administration said it believed that the 5 books had, in the guise of teaching Qigong, spread superstitions and unscientific ideas in violation of an administration ban on publications that promoted superstitions and ignorance.

　　Then, on August 16, 1996 and two years later, on June 5, 1998, the administration banned the distribution of two Falun Gong books published by the Hualing Publishing House and the Huacheng Publishing House in Guangdong Province.

　　On May 10 of this year, the administration decided to ban cassette tapes and videotapes of a sermon given by Li Hongzhi that were published by the Jilin Educational Audio - Video Publishing House, and some other Falun Gong-related audio-video products and electronic publications from the Heilongjiang Audio - Video Publishing House.

　　The latest action against Falun Gong publications occurred on June 1 in Qinghai Province, where 4 books, mostly collections of Li Hongzhi's sermons delivered abroad, were banned.

　　The Press and Publications Administration and the National Anti- Pornography Office have ordered their branch offices to take a close look at local publications and to confiscate all Falun Gong publications.

　　(China Daily, July 23, 1999)