Letter to the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong

Mr. Michael Klosson U.S Consulate General in Hong Kong 26 Garden Road Hong Kong Dear Consulate General Klosson, My name is HuiZhi Mao, I am a Falun Gong practitioner from St. Louis, Missouri. On May 7, I arrived at the Hong Kong airport with my U.S. passport; however, I was illegally detained for eight hours and was forced to fly back to the U.S. At the Hong Kong Customs, hundreds of people were permitted to enter the country; however when it was my turn, an officer took my U.S. passport and verified my identification with the computer system, then keyed in something and did not even look at me. Immediately afterwards, another Customs officer with a mobile phone came from the other side and took me into a room. I then lost my personal freedom as three female officers monitored me. Even when I went to the restroom, they did not allow me to close the door. They searched all of my luggage and belongings, yet did not find anything wrong. Then they took me to another room and another officer; I asked him the reason for not letting me through. He said, "We have the right to reject anybody's entry without giving any reason." Furthermore, as a U.S. citizen, my right to contact the U.S Consulate General in Hong Kong was also denied by the officers. They told me to sign a paper, but had never given me a chance to make a call. After eight hours of detention, I was forced to take the flight back to the U.S. I insisted on my right: "I will not go back before I contact the U.S. Consulate or a lawyer." At that time, more than ten male and female guards came and surrounded me. One of them threatened, "Do you want to go by yourself or have us make you go?" I was thus put on the return flight by these ten guards. On the way to the plane, I heard a lady's cry for help. Later on I learned that she was also a Falun Gong practitioner from Washington D.C. When she refused to go back and requested the reason for rejecting her entry into Hong Kong, the officers tied both of her arms together and legs together with rope and wrapped her body with a canvas bag. This is my direct eyewitness of how Falun Gong practitioners were mistreated at the Hong Kong Customs. I can imagine how much more severe the practitioners in China are being treated. Of course, most of the Customs officers just do not know the true facts and were misled by the Chinese media and pressure from the Chinese government. I told them my real story. I used to be a pre-cancer patient. After practicing Falun Gong, my body and spirit became well and healthy. The officers all listened seriously. When I told them there are people practicing Falun Gong in more than 40 countries worldwide who have they gained tremendous benefits from it, one young female officer kept nodding in agreement. She had been very friendly to me and said to another practitioner who was being mistreated "You are really good!" On the flight back, a customs officer told another practitioner from Rhode Island, that her name was in the computer system, hence she was rejected. Obviously, my name must be in their system too. I guess the reason is that my name has been on the worldwide Falun Dafa volunteer contact list on the Internet. The purpose for my going to Hong Kong was that I knew Chinese President Jiang Zemin would be there on May 8. I wanted to be there to practice Falun Gong and thus let people see and know the real story. I also would like to take the opportunity to appeal to China to stop the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners and to give back our freedom. I just truthfully want to let you know that I did not do anything wrong. I did not violate any law. As a U.S. citizen, I was deprived of the right to enter Hong Kong. It is so sad to see the Hong Kong government and people lose the freedom to make their own decisions. The pressure and damage from Jiang Zemin on Hong Kong is so severe. Yet I believe that Falun Gong is welcomed by the people of Hong Kong, just as it is welcomed by people in over 40 other countries who are of fairness, benevolence and wisdom. I am looking forward to your help so that I can obtain the freedom to enter Hong Kong. Yours truly, HuiZhi Mao