[...]The Taipei mayor is the first high-level politician to speak out against
the harsh Chinese crackdown on the spiritual group that has seen hundreds killed STAFF WRITER
Monday, Dec 30, 2002,Page 2
Falun Gong practitioners hold a
candlelight vigil at the National Taiwan University stadium yesterday for
the more than 533 fellow members killed in China since the Chinese
government began its crackdown on the movement. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Taipei City mayor Ma Ying-jeou yesterday criticized the Beijing government
for suppressing the Falun Gong movement, marking the first time a well-known
Taiwan political figure has spoken out over the matter.
Ma showed up at a gathering of more than 5,000 Falun Gong followers at the
National Taiwan University stadium in Taipei yesterday.
[...]
Ma accused Beijing of violating the freedom of religion, saying that he
"isn't afraid of offending any government or regime."
Ma called on China to rethink the diversity of Chinese culture and exercise
tolerance.
Ma also said Taiwan's unification with China would be out of the question
until Beijing clears the names of people persecuted during and after the
Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 that killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
students.
Ma has been widely tipped as the KMT's presidential candidate in 2004 since
his landslide victory in Taipei's mayoral election earlier this month.
Vice Minister of the Interior Hsu Ying-shen and NTU president Chen Wei-jao
also attended the gathering.
Chang Ching-hsi, chairman of the Falun Gong [Association] in Taiwan, said the
movement has never engaged in politics as Beijing fears, much less plotted to
overthrow the communist government.
Chang said more than 500 Falun Gong practitioners have been killed since
China began its [persecution of] the movement more than three years ago.
Chang added that several hundred thousand Taiwanese are studying the [...]
meditation exercises taught by the group.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2002/12/30/189110
Posting date: 12/31/2002
Original article date: 12/31/2002
Category: News & Media Reports