of Wenping and nearby Simachong village denied any connection to Falun Gong . They said they were not even familiar with the religious sect . They just wanted their children to be well again . China banned Falun Gong in 1999 and has cracked down on practitioners . An August 26 public notice warned villagers to beware of Falun Gong members and instructed people to watch for `` reactionary propaganda '' sent online and by phone . The Wugang government issued similar information on its Web site . The villagers said the government wants them to keep quiet , but they are worried . `` They are insulting us , '' said one woman , holding up the public notice . `` They said we are spreading the rumors . '' The villagers ' lives were shattered when , one by one , children began to fall ill . So far , 1,354 have tested positive for abnormal levels of lead in their blood . Many have stopped eating and are constantly fatigued . Others are not growing hair . Some parents worry they will not be able to provide medical care for long-term problems . Lead poisoning can cause
WUGANG , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities in China 's south-central Hunan province are associating disgruntled parents of children stricken by lead poisoning with the outlawed spiritual group Falun Gong . A mother feeds her child in a village near the Wugang Manganese Smelting Plant in Hunan province . `` Citizens of the Wugang area have received phone calls from members of the Falun Gong over the past several days , '' said Wugang Deputy Spokesman Zhen Zhaoxin . `` Any resident who receives any calls or information about the Falun Gong activities are encouraged to report to the police . '' He said the government , along with police , are investigating to determine the calls ' origin . But villagers said they have suffered enough and the government 's accusation is `` insulting . '' The friction comes after residents in Wenping township , governed by the city of Wugang , last month protested pollution from an area factory that left more than 1,000 children with lead poisoning . That was one of three separate lead poisoning incidents reported in August that affected large numbers of Chinese children . Watch more about the lead poisoning '' Residents