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FDI: Let's Defend Hong Kong's Freedoms and Create Genuine Peace and Harmony PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER
NEW YORK, December 19, 2002 (Falun Dafa Information Center)
-- The people of Hong Kong should not be victimized by the tyranny of Jiang
Zemin.
Pressured by Jiang Zemin's authoritarian regime in Beijing,
the SAR government hastily published a Consultation Document prior to the
enactment of Article 23 of the Basic Law. Under the pretense of safeguarding
"national security," the Government is clearly targeting certain groups and
aggressively attacking Hong Kong's fundamental rights and freedoms.
As legal experts have pointed out, the current laws of Hong
Kong already cover the offences listed in Article 23, and it is therefore not
necessary to introduce a new law. Even though "secession" or "subversion" is
not specifically listed in the Common Law, the existing laws are enough to
address those issues.
And since Hong Kong has never seen these offences, the
hasty enactment of Article 23 and the strong determination to seal "loopholes"
that have never been taken advantage of make people wonder what the real
intention is behind this flurry of activity.
"One Country-Two Systems" Policy Endangered
Article 23 will not only fail to bring any extra protection
to the territory, but will actually undermine the existing rule of law, civil
liberties and moral strength from which a nation draws its real security.
Moreover, the erosion of Hong Kong's traditional freedoms will ultimately lead
to the collapse of the much-vaunted "one country, two systems."
The definitions of "national security" and "state secrets"
are key elements in any anti-subversion laws. The SAR Government is apparently
prepared to fully accept the Mainland's worryingly vague definitions of these
terms, as well as the overly harsh punishments for those found guilty of such
offences.
"National Security" and "State Secrets" a Pretense for
Targeting Peaceful Dissenters
It is also important to remember that the Beijing
Government does not make any legal distinction between Government, Nation and
the Communist Party. Under the pretence of safeguarding national security or
state secrets, peaceful dissenters are rounded up, and proscribed groups
driven underground merely because they are deemed threatening to the CCP's
hegemony. Revealing the spread of AIDS in a particular place inside China, or
disclosing to the media that dissidents are being tortured in mental
hospitals, or even reporting on a large-scale strike by workers could provoke
a "subversive" label.
Mr. Chu O-ming, a permanent resident of Hong Kong, and
Falun Gong practitioner, was arrested seven days after he followed legal
procedures to file a complaint against Jiang Zemin and two other Chinese
leaders with the Supreme People's Procuratorate in August 2000. He was handed
a five-year jail sentence and received severe mental and physical torture.
Dr. Teng Chunyan, a doctor practicing in the United States,
was sent to a labor camp for three years for disclosing to overseas media that
Falun Gong practitioners were wrongfully incarcerated in mental hospitals
where many are tortured.
For these procedures to become the norm in Hong Kong would
be nothing less than a tragedy for human civilization. Article 23 could be
easily manipulated to attack any groups, or individuals that are not to the
liking of Jiang Zemin and his cohorts.
The Most Troubling Clause in Article 23
There is one clause in particular that gives cause for
concern about Falun Gong's future in Hong Kong. The Secretary for Security
would have the power to ban groups in Hong Kong should their organization in
the Mainland be proscribed on the grounds of "national security."
Experience has shown that Article 23 will likely be
exploited by Jiang Zemin and his cohorts, depending on what is considered to
be politically expedient at any given moment. The process by which Falun Gong
was banned in 1999, in violation of China's own constitution, is a case in
point. One seriously doubts if the likes of Mr. Tung and Regina Ip have either
the strength or the will to stand up for the rights of Hong Kong citizens in
the face of any concerted pressure from Jiang Zemin.
The SAR authorities also have stated repeatedly that
existing laws of many democratic countries were studied while drafting the
Consultation Document -- this to show that the proposal complies with
international standards. However, we believe that the resemblance is only
superficial, and the true danger is concealed. The SAR government has
consistently avoided talking about one important factor: in comparison to
Western countries, Hong Kong lacks the checks and balances characteristic of a
true democracy to ensure the laws of the land are implemented justly.
Hong Kong Abuses Existing Laws to Curtail Freedom of
Expression
The law is already being applied selectively and
inconsistently in the territory. In November 2001, at the instigation of the
police, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department forcibly removed a Falun
Gong banner, citing a completely unrelated Food and Environmental Hygiene
Ordinance. Also, in an incident that happened on March 14 of this year, an
ordinance, that was originally intended to regulate obstruction caused by
street vendors, was applied to arrest 16 Falun Gong practitioners who were
conducting a peaceful and legal petition on that day. Those peaceful
petitioners were prosecuted under the same ordinance.
Regrettably, in the process of drafting laws for Article
23, the Hong Kong SAR government has not demonstrated genuine respect for the
freedoms and rights of Hong Kong residents. The consultation process feels
more like a sales promotion. It has proceeded on a timetable dictated secretly
by Mainland authorities. On a matter so crucial to Hong Kong's future, the SAR
government even refused reasonable suggestions that it should present a
detailed draft for public consultation. No matter how much the authority tries
to make the proposal appear lenient and reasonable, this kind of irresponsible
attitude is very troublesome. So-called "national security" is in danger of
being reduced to the kind of "security" that would allow a small group in
power to satisfy their own selfish desires and interests.
Let's all stand up to stop the tyranny from seeping into
Hong Kong.
We deeply feel that the SAR government and the people of
Hong Kong should not be victimized by the tyranny of Jiang Zemin; they should
not have to live in terror. We strongly oppose any measures through which
"national interest" or "security" may be used as a pretense to attack innocent
people.
Let us all speak out to stop tyranny from surreptitiously
seeping into Hong Kong. Let us fulfill our responsibility to future
generations and defend the basic human rights and civil liberties currently
enjoyed by Hong Kong residents.
Let us work together to build a bright future for all of
us.
# # #
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about),
is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the
universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." It is a practice
that was taught in private for thousands of years before being made public in
1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture,
but it is distinct and separate from other practices such as the religions of
Buddhism and Taoism. Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word
of mouth throughout China, and is now practiced in over
50 countries.
With government estimates of as many as
100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's President Jiang Zemin outlawed
the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report),
fearful of anything touching the hearts and minds of more citizens than the
Communist Party. Unable to crush the spirit of millions who had experienced
improved health and positive life changes from Falun Gong, Jiang's regime has
intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the
practice while quietly imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who
practice it.
The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of
531 deaths (reports
sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999.
Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll
is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much
higher.
Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than
100,000 being sentenced to forced labour camps, typically without trial.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE
CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER Contacts: Gail Rachlin 212-706-7026, Levi Browde 914-720-0963, Erping Zhang
646-533-6147, or Feng Yuan 646-523-5676. Fax: 646-792-3916 Email:
faluninfoctr@nycmail.com, Website:
http://www.faluninfo.net/ Mailbox of FalunInfo
editor@faluninfo.net Posting date: 12/20/2002 |