Taipei Times Editorial: The disappearance of freedom

7/03/2002

Forcibly stuffing people into sacks, with their hands and feet bound, and then tossing them onto a vessel may sound like something right out of the Dark Ages, but that is the treatment Hong Kong gave to a number of Falun Gong [practitioners] just three days ago. Falun Gong [practitioners] who were barred from entering the territory but who refused to voluntarily board airplanes to be departed were forced into sacks and put aboard planes.

About 90 or so Falun Gong [practitioners] from Taiwan were denied entry to Hong Kong in recent days, while several dozen other people from Taiwan were also denied entry because their names were either similar to or identical with Falun Gong [practitioners] on a blacklist. All so that Chinese President Jiang wouldn't be bothered by either the sight or sound of the movements' members during his short visit to Hong Kong to mark the fifth anniversary of the territory's return to Chinese rule.

Despite the best efforts of the Hong Kong and Beijing governments, that anniversary had more of the flavor of a wake than a celebration. The celebration were really more like an extravagant funeral for Hong Kong's once-vibrant freedoms of speech and religion. One can't help but feel amazed about Beijing's efficiency in demolishing the seeds of democracy in five short years.

Hong Kong's Security Bureau has repeatedly emphasized that "no one has ever been denied entry due to religious reasons." Falun Gong [practitioners] were told that their entry was barred for immigration and security reasons. What kind of immigration problems could these people possibly have posed, given that they either had Hong Kong-issued visas or were eligible for landing visas? What kind of security threat could they have possibly posed when they only wished to hold peaceful demonstrations against China's crackdown on their group's members?

These people were barred simply for being Falun Gong [practitioners] -- a violation of religious freedom -- and because they planned to participate in peaceful demonstrations -- a violation of freedom of speech.

China is no longer content with persecuting its own Falun Gong [practitioners], but is doing its best to get other governments to do its dirty work for in their countries. Iceland refused entry to Falun Gong [practitioners] ahead of Jiang's visit to that country earlier this year. Fortunately, opinion polls later indicated that 90 percent of Iceland's people disapproved of their government's kowtowing to China. In Australia, lawful and peaceful demonstrations outside the Chinese embassy were banned to avoid upsetting Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxiuan when he was visiting.

It is sad to see this persecution of Falun Gong [practitioners] spreading in the international community. It is a shame to see democratic countries bowing to the Chinese bully in this way. Unfortunately, far too many people have become so used to seeing China getting its way that they hardly notice its abuses. The only reason Hong Kong's treatment of Falun Gong [practitioners] managed to raise eyebrows was the way immigration officials handled the uncooperative people who refused to leave.

The lesson for Taiwan has been clear for quite some time -- "one country, two systems" has been a disaster for Hong Kong. Even those arguing that the territory's economic decline has more to do with the global downturn than the handover can't deny that democracy and freedom no longer have any place there. Hong Kong's path is one road Taiwan does not want to travel.

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http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2002/07/03/story/0000146857

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