SCMP: Tung under fire for fresh attack on [group] (Excerpt)

Friday, June 15, 2001

Tung Chee-hwa yesterday strengthened his attacks on Falun Gong, saying there was no doubt it was a political and well-organized "[slanderous term omitted]" - but said it was not yet time to enact anti-[slanderous term omitted]laws. Pro-democracy legislators said Mr Tung's remarks amounted to passing a death sentence on "one country, two systems" as Hong Kong appeared to be blindly following Beijing, which outlawed the [group] in July 1999. [Editor's note: Falun Gong has no organization; all activities are financed by the individual volunteers who perform them, and it has absolutely no political agenda.]

Local Falun Gong representatives said the remarks were defamatory. The Chief Executive has in the past said the [group] bore "more or less the characteristics of an [slanderous term omitted]".

Mr Tung made the remarks when questioned by Chan Kam-lam of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong during a 70-minute Legco session about his views on enacting an anti-[slanderous term omitted] law.

[Tung's slanderous terms omitted]

Hong Kong Falun Gong spokesman Hui Cheung Yee-han said Mr Tung's accusations were defamatory.

"It's not for a person to define what is righteous or evil. One should look at the content of our practices and our behavior. I can't see any relationship between us and an [slanderous term omitted]," she said. "We definitely don't have any political agenda at all."

Bar Association chairman Alan Leong Kah-kit, SC said Mr Tung was on shaky legal ground when defining a particular organization in the absence of an objective legal definition of an [slanderous term omitted].

Concerns have been raised that the SAR is preparing to enact anti-[slanderous term omitted] laws similar to those introduced recently in France, although senior officials have said there are no plans to introduce such legislation.

Albert Ho Chun-yan, of the Democratic Party, asked Mr Tung: "Are you relying on the privilege of immunity [from legal action] to make such serious allegations against [Falun Gong]?"

Mr Tung said he had made the comments having "gone through detailed consideration".

Democratic Party chairman Martin Lee Chu-ming said: "We think Mr Tung should withdraw that statement. It seems to us that there is no longer the rule of law, but the rule of Mr Tung. There is absolutely no justification for him saying that."

Mr Lee, a devout Catholic, said Mr Tung's comments were of concern to mainstream religions. "If Mr Tung can say this of the Falun Gong in Hong Kong without any justification whatsoever, he could say exactly the same thing about the Catholic Church or the Protestant Church tomorrow," he said.

Emily Lau Wai-hing, of The Frontier, said Mr Tung had gone overboard. "In the end, he really messed it up. The way he handled it was terrible. He is telling people what we have is actually 'one country, one system'."

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