Martial Bachoffner, a computer technician who lives in Montreal, was held in custody for 22 hours after unfurling a banner on Monday. He said he used the time to try to persuade his captors "that Falun Gong is not what they think." "I agreed to cooperate to a certain extent such as by answering the questions put by a policeman who could speak French and I was delighted to be able to explain to them that we have 100 million members, that the movement is recognised by 53 governments," the 34-year old said in an interview.

Bachoffner, who arrived in Tokyo Tuesday en route to Canada after being deported, said he had been well-treated by the Chinese police who interrogated him repeatedly over his motives, but he had been barred from returning to China for five years.

"They were rather impressed by the fact that I am both a member of Falun Dafa (Chinese name for Falun Gong), and French, not American, which inspired a certain amount of respect apparently. At no time did they become aggressive," he said.

Between interrogation sessions, he was left alone in a cell, monitored by a security camera, but had his glasses, belt and pager confiscated until he was freed, he said. The police also kept the small amount of money he had on him, saying it would be used to pay for the tolls on the road to the airport and for his departure tax, he added. "I hope that by my attitude, the message has got through to these policemen about the peaceful doctrine of Falun Dafa because this continual propaganda in China -- on television, on the radio, everywhere -- is really terrible," Bachoffner said.

"Looking through the bars at the policemen who were watching television, I asked myself which of us was really the prisoner, me or them."

"China must open up, they must change their attitude with the Olympic Games coming up. They know that the Falun Gong does no harm," he said.

Bachoffner said he made his gesture in Tiananmen Square to "express my absolute rejection of the bloody suppression of Falun Dafa."

Human rights groups estimate hundreds of Falun Gong followers have been given jail terms and tens of thousands sent to labour camps without trial since China banned the group in July 1999.

The Frenchman said he chose May 13 for his protest to mark the 10th anniversary of the appearance of Falun Gong in China and the birthday of the movement's founder, Li Hongzhi, currently [...] in the United States.