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EFIC: Let's Defend Hong Kong's Freedoms and Create Genuine Peace and Harmony The people of Hong Kong should not be victimized by Jiang's tyranny
LONDON, December 21, 2002 (Falun Dafa Information Centre) -- Pressured by
Jiang's authoritarian regime in Beijing, the SAR government has hastily
published a Consultation Document prior to the enactment of a proposed
"Article 23", an anti-subversion 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. "National Security" and "State Secrets" - Targeting Peaceful Dissenters The definitions of "national security" and "state secrets" are key elements
in any anti-subversion law. The SAR Government is apparently prepared to fully
accept the Mainland's alarmingly vague definitions of these terms, as well as
the overly harsh punishments for those found guilty of such offences. It is also important to remember that the Beijing Government, under the
pretense of safeguarding national security or state secrets, round up peaceful
dissidents, and proscribed groups driven underground merely because they are
deemed threatening to the CCP's hegemony. Examples are as follows: · 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 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. 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 some of the clauses are not specifically
listed in the Common Law, the existing laws are enough to address those
issues. 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." Stand up to stop Tyranny from Seeping into Hong Kong We deeply feel that the SAR government and the people of Hong Kong should
not be victimized by Jiang's tyranny; they should not have to live in terror.
We strongly oppose any measures through which "national interest" or
"security" may be used as 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. # # # Background Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and
exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of
"Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." The Falun Dafa Information Centre 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 labor camps, typically without trial. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTRE
Source:
http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200212/8965.html Posting date: 12/22/2002 |