In 2001, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation did an investigative report. They put the persecution into a stark context, and I quote:
Falun Gong practitioners make up close to half the number of Chinese people being held in labour camps, a process that requires no legal or judicial ruling.
We know that there are thousands upon thousands of practitioners who've been murdered in police custody. We know there are hundreds of thousands of practitioners who are being held in labour camps. The Falun Dafa Association can only confirm approximately 2,800 people who've died.
We can't just fabricate a number. We would like to give it more of a truthful context, but we can't because there's a huge cover-up campaign happening, and to get media in to investigate is impossible. Reporters Without Borders has condemned China for a complete media blockage on the persecution of Falun Gong.