[Clearwisdom.net]

Dear Sir or Madam:

We are Falun Gong practitioners in 80 universities in the United States. We are writing to express our deep concern over the proposal to implement Article 23 of the Basic Law. We are concerned that the enactment of Article 23 will result in the extension of the tyranny in Mainland China to Hong Kong, and the violent suppression of Falun Gong, in particular. We urge you to consider the effect that such action will have on Hong Kong and its future.

Hong Kong has always been known for its free flow of information and its open economy. Yet this freedom, along with Hong Kong's autonomy, has been constantly eroding under pressure from Mainland China. The policy of "one country, two systems" would be seriously jeopardized if Article 23 were implemented. It would further undermine the cherished freedom that Hong Kong has fought so hard to maintain and drastically affect the region's economic status.

Media organizations, legal professionals, religious organizations, human rights groups, educational institutions, as well as financial firms have all expressed their concern over the ambiguities of Article 23. In accord with international practice, laws and terminology regarding criminal actions must be precise and specific. The ambiguity of Article 23 could easily lead to violations of fundamental rights in the name of "national security." This is indeed what is happening in Mainland China, especially in regard to various ethnic and religious groups, Christians, the spiritual Falun Gong practice, as well as internet users, scholars, and journalists. With the enactment of Article 23, Hong Kong would essentially be turned into a police state like the Mainland, and the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners may also be extended to Hong Kong.

The proposed Article 23 does not comply with the Johannesburg Principles as well as the World Human Rights Convention and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In fact, a co-author of the Johannesburg Principles, Dr. Frances D'Souza, has stated, "There is no question that this proposed legislation threatens individual liberties in a profound and sustained way."

Hong Kong is a city that is respected throughout the world. Please act in the best interests of Hong Kong and its people. We are hoping that you will do everything in your power to preserve freedom, the inalienable right of humans everywhere.

Sincerely,

Falun Gong practitioners currently studying and working in the following universities:

American University

Boston University

California Institute of Technology

City College of New York

Colorado state university

Columbia University

Cornell University

Duke University

Emory University

Florida State University

George Washington University

Georgetown University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia State University

Harvard University

Indiana University

Iowa State University

Johns Hopkins University

Kansas State University

Kent State University

Lehigh University

Mississippi State University

MIT

North Carolina State University

New Jersey Medical School

New York State University at Buffalo

New York State University of Albany

Northeastern University

Northern Illinois University

Northwestern University

Northwestern Health Sciences University

Ohio State University

Penn State University

Princeton University

Purdue University

Rutgers the State University of New Jersey

San Francisco State University

South Dakota State University

Stanford University

Temple University

Texas A&M University

The Catholic University of America

Thomas Jefferson University

Tufts University

University of California Berkeley

University of California Davis

University of California- Los Angeles

University of California San Diego

University of Central Florida

University of Chicago

University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado at Boulder

University of Colorado at Denver

University of Florida

University of Georgia

University of Houston

University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign

University of Maryland- College Park

University of Memphis

University of Michigan

University of Minnesota- Twin Cities

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh

University of Rochester

University of Southern California

University of South Florida

University of Texas at Austin

University of Texas at Houston Medical School

University of Texas Health Science Center

University of Utah

University of Virginia

University of Wisconsin- Madison

Washington University in St. Louis

University of Washington

Yale University

Posting date: 12/21/2002
Original article date: 12/21/2002
Category: Open Forum
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2002/12/19/41316.html

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