08/27/2001
HONG KONG -- Ten followers of the Falun Gong meditation [group] who were arrested in a demonstration in front of China's representative office in Hong Kong moved their protest to the sidewalk outside a local police station early Sunday.
A police inspector, Mak Tze-kee, warned the Falun Gong adherents to move away and not obstruct the public, which is what they were arrested for on Saturday, even though they were not blocking the sidewalk. The 10 sat in a lotus meditative position near a bed of flowers and showed no signs of budging.
The Falun Gong adherents say they are refusing food to show solidarity for jailed followers in mainland China -- where the group is outlawed as [Jiang Zemin government's slanderous term omitted] -- but they have no intention of going on a prolonged hunger strike.
"If one of us collapses, I think we will start taking food," said another of the demonstrators, Wang Yaoqing. "We're not trying to die. Life is valuable."
The arrests on Saturday marked Hong Kong's toughest action yet against local Falun Gong followers, who take advantage of Hong Kong's Western-style freedoms to stage frequent protests against Beijing's suppression of the [group] in mainland China. Hong Kong police had not previously arrested any Falun Gong followers.
Pro-democracy activists said they are worried but not surprised that Hong Kong is taking a tougher line toward the [group].
"I think the police have gone mad," said Martin Lee, leader of the opposition Democratic Party. "How can they arrest these people who were not even shouting or speaking, and were just breathing there. I think they are totally ignorant of the law."
But pro-Beijing figures accuse the [group] of deliberately provoking the authorities.
[...]
Hong Kong officials have gradually escalated their rhetoric against Falun Gong, with Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa labeling the group a [term omitted], but until now officials have done no more than say they would keep a close eye on Falun Gong to make sure it doesn't harm Hong Kong.
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