GWANGJU, June 4: Hundreds of caps and fans promoting the Falungong sect were confiscated from supporters entering the Gwangju stadium where China played their first World Cup match on Tuesday, police said.

Police also stopped about 20 followers of the sect, which is the target of a clampdown by the Chinese authorities, hand out leaflets near the stadium.

According to police sources, China had requested that World Cup co-hosts South Korea and Japan prevent any protests by the sect, which has up to 20,000 followers in Korea.

Some 60 Falungong practioners divided into groups handed out 10,000 caps and 20,000 fans to supporters of the Chinese and Costa Rican teams going to the Gwangju stadium, Kwon Hong-Dae, head of Falongong in Korea told AFP.

A Gwangju police official said police had confiscated caps and fans from supporters entering the stadium for the match which Costa Rica won 2-0.

The official added that about 20 Falungong followers held an illegal assembly within a one kilometer zone around the stadium where demonstrations are banned.

The caps and fans were inscribed with the Chinese characters for ‘falun dafa hao’ meaning ‘Falun the Great Law is Good.’

He said, however, that campaigners did not stage any protest against the Chinese government. “We did not use or chant any anti-Chinese government slogans. During the World Cup, we will never do any activities that would ruin the festive atmosphere of the event,” he said.—AFP