[...]The Taipei mayor is the first high-level politician to speak out against the harsh Chinese crackdown on the spiritual group that has seen hundreds killed

STAFF WRITER

Monday, Dec 30, 2002,Page 2

Falun Gong practitioners hold a candlelight vigil at the National Taiwan University stadium yesterday for the more than 533 fellow members killed in China since the Chinese government began its crackdown on the movement. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

Taipei City mayor Ma Ying-jeou yesterday criticized the Beijing government for suppressing the Falun Gong movement, marking the first time a well-known Taiwan political figure has spoken out over the matter.

Ma showed up at a gathering of more than 5,000 Falun Gong followers at the National Taiwan University stadium in Taipei yesterday.

[...]

Ma accused Beijing of violating the freedom of religion, saying that he "isn't afraid of offending any government or regime."

Ma called on China to rethink the diversity of Chinese culture and exercise tolerance.

Ma also said Taiwan's unification with China would be out of the question until Beijing clears the names of people persecuted during and after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 that killed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of students.

Ma has been widely tipped as the KMT's presidential candidate in 2004 since his landslide victory in Taipei's mayoral election earlier this month.

Vice Minister of the Interior Hsu Ying-shen and NTU president Chen Wei-jao also attended the gathering.

Chang Ching-hsi, chairman of the Falun Gong [Association] in Taiwan, said the movement has never engaged in politics as Beijing fears, much less plotted to overthrow the communist government.

Chang said more than 500 Falun Gong practitioners have been killed since China began its [persecution of] the movement more than three years ago.

Chang added that several hundred thousand Taiwanese are studying the [...] meditation exercises taught by the group.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2002/12/30/189110