South China Morning Post: I thought HK was free, says detainee

06/30/2002

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Detained Australian Falun Gong practitioner Vina Li Hong-sui, 39, yesterday said she had visited Hong Kong several times in recent years and had never before been refused entry.

"Last time I came here, it was no problem. I freely practised [ Falun Gong]," Ms Li said.

"I'm really shocked about this . . . It's only five years [since the handover], it's changed so much . . . I thought Hong Kong was free and that Hong Kong was different from China." Ms Li, a ballet teacher from Sydney, said she had no criminal record and was not given any explanation for the decision.

As she tried to enter Hong Kong on Friday night, the officer checking her passport detained her without explanation, then called a colleague, who took her elsewhere to be questioned, she said. It was obvious she was on a list, she said, adding: "They didn't even ask me a word before they took me."

Later she was told she had been refused entry because of "immigration", but authorities would not elaborate, she said.

Taiwanese Falun Gong [practitioners] she had seen in detention said they were refused entry for "safety" reasons, despite having obtained visas.

Ms Li said that she was [...] on television last time she was in Hong Kong, but did not know if that was related to the decision to refuse her entry.

While in detention, she has noticed a whiteboard with her name and a number written on it. She said authorities covered up the whiteboard with paper when they saw her looking at it.

Ms Li - who was scheduled to be repatriated last night - wanted to come to Hong Kong to discuss Falun Gong with [other practitioners] and to practice. "It's nothing special, it's just like you do yoga or gym."