Taiwan: Falun Gong Practitioners Appeal to Keelung City Council for Support to Condemn Illegal Deportations from Hong Kong (Photo)

By a Falun Gong practitioner in Taiwan

(Clearwisdom.net) On the morning of July 20, 2007, dozens of Falun Gong practitioners in Keelung appealed at the city council for support in condemning the violent deportation of Falun Gong practitioners by the Hong Kong government before July 1. This incident has become an international focus of attention. A representative from the Taiwan president's office and executive Yuan member remarked that what the Hong Kong government did was a step backward for democracy. Their actions were wrong and regrettable.

On the eve of the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China, close to 500 Falun Gong practitioners tried to enter Hong Kong with valid visas, but were treated inhumanely by Hong Kong customs agents and police. Some were violently deported, and among them were dozens of Keelung residents. Practitioners requested the city council to lodge a protest against the Hong Kong government on behalf of the people in Keelung.

Executive Secretary to the City Council Chairman Lin Sheng-yi met Falun Gong practitioners and told them the incident concerns federal policy with regard to the Taiwan Strait. However, as the top-level office representing the Keelung people, the city council would continue to show concern over the inhumane treatment of Keelung residents in order to safeguard their security and basic human rights.

The incident wasn't the first violent deportation by the Hong Kong government. There is a blacklist to deny practitioners entry to Hong Kong before July 1 every year. Practitioners in Keelung do group exercises in the morning in front of Keelung Cultural Center. Local residents know Falun Gong practitioners from this practice site.

Practitioners showed pictures of themselves with their hands tied behind their backs by the Hong Kong customs agents. A reporter asked why the Hong Kong government would do this. Professor Xiao Song-shan, representative of the deported Falun Gong practitioners, told the reporter the illegal deportation proved the policy of "one country two systems" was an illusion. The CCP had already manipulated Hong Kong behind the scenes. The victims today are Falun Gong practitioners. Who will be the next ones? As stated in Falun Gong practitioners' press release, the reason why the injustice could take place was because the voices of righteousness stayed silent. They hope their fellow Keelung citizens would see it clearly and help stop the CCP and the Hong Kong government from trampling on people's human rights.

Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2007/7/27/159668.html

 Yearly Archive   Printer Version