Feb 8, 2001 -- (BBC Monitoring) Excerpt from report by Radio TV Hong Kong audio web site on 8 February. The chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, says the Falun Gong movement will not be allowed to exploit Hong Kong's freedoms to undermine stability either here or on the mainland. [...] [...] The leader of the Democratic Party, Martin Lee, said Mr Tung was toeing the Beijing line, towards the Falun Gong, even describing it as an [Chinese government's slanderous word]. He said Mr Tung had failed to implement the "one country, two systems" principle. [Lee] I think what the chief executive has shown is that he is exactly toeing the Beijing line on the Falun Gong people. He actually described them as an [Chinese government's slanderous word], which of course is the line from Beijing. But I have been observing what the Falun Gong people have been doing in Hong Kong. They have gathered together [at] various places and doing qigong...in public, always behaving peaceably. I have never seen them burning themselves. So there is absolutely no suggestion or evidence that can actually assist Mr Tung in coming to the conclusion that these people are an [Chinese government's slanderous word]. [End of recording] Frontier legislator Lee Cheuk-yan said Mr Tung's remarks were driving Hong Kong into dangerous ground by merging the local system with that of the mainland. [Lee] I think he is now really going to very dangerous ground, or blurring the two systems. We say we are one country, two systems. And the Falun Gong, no matter what they are, what the contents of their belief are, they are operating completely under the law of Hong Kong and nothing that they are doing is violating the laws. [passage omitted] I think what he is trying is really a very harsh warning, so we are very much worried that they will really do something on Falun Gong. And that would also affect the rights of the people of Hong Kong. [End of recording] [...] An independent legislator, Audrey Eu, said Mr Tung side-stepped the most important question - is Falun Gong being singled out for surveillance and possible legal action because it has publicly criticized mainland leaders. Ms Eu said this was the question of most concern to the community... Source: RTHK Radio 3 audio web site, Hong Kong, in English 1000 GMT 8 Feb 01
Category: Falun Dafa in the Media
