Hong Kong Hotel Cancels Contract to Host Falun Gong Conference; Police Pressure Suspected

(Clearwisdom.net) February 22, 2003, the Hong Kong Falun Gong Association of Buddha Studies successfully organized an experience sharing conference. One year ago they had applied to the government for a meeting place through regular channels and were rejected over 70 times. Finally, three months ago, they applied for a place at the Sheraton Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui and signed a contract. On February 14, 2003, the Falun Gong Association of Buddha Studies informed police of their activity plan. The following day, they received a letter from the Hotel stating all large scale functions were being cancelled due to "world safety" and this included the planned Falun Gong activity.

Kan Hung-cheung, a speaker for the Hong Kong Falun Gong Association told reporters that it's hard to accept the reasons given by the Sheraton because Falun Gong has been well known for its peacefulness and has been praised by police in many other places around the world. Many government officials also know that Falun Gong practitioners are very orderly and self-restrained.

Kan pointed out that the Hong Kong Falun Gong Association talked to the Hotel and offered to cooperate in all safety issues. His personal experience with renting a facility in a Hotel for a function has been very difficult whenever he has applied under the name of Falun Gong. This time when the Sheraton Hotel initially agreed to rent a room, the Hong Kong Falun Gong Association praised the Hotel for the offer, but unfortunately, the contract was finally cancelled.

When asked if the Sheraton had cancelled the contract because of pressure from the police, Kan said he did not wish to speculate, but he also did not like to see the Sheraton make decisions under the influence of Mainland China or some abnormal pressure to cause trouble for a Falun Gong activity. This is unfair.

The meeting place issue was finally resolved, but he hoped that the Sheraton could correct this kind of unfair treatment.

According to Miss Huang, who was in charge of renting from the Sheraton, the Hong Kong Falun Gong Association informed police of their activity plan. The following day at noon, without any communication with her, the Hotel sent her a letter, saying the Hotel had cancelled all the large-scale activities for reasons of "world safety." The planned Falun Gong meeting was also cancelled, and the hotel will return all the money involved.

The Hong Kong Falun Gong Association thought that the reason put forth by the Sheraton was unacceptable, and went to the hotel to talk to the person in charge. But that person avoided practitioners on the pretext of a meeting, and finally showed up after Miss Huang waited for a long time. According to the contract, if the Hotel is not able to offer its facilities, it would be required to find a similar alternative place that could seat about 1000 people for the planned meeting. But the official said that they had searched most of the big hotels in the area, and could not find one.

Miss Huang then asked the hotel manager to give her a list of the hotels they had researched. He said he didn't have one, but would produce one the following day. The Sheraton informed Miss Huang that they had found a place, but it was a nightclub and was much more expensive to rent. The Falun Gong Association refused to accept that place. After repeatedly evading the practitioners, the Sheraton finally mailed a check to the Falun Gong Association, returning all the money, and the two sides have had no further contact.

Feb.23, 2003

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