Dow Jones: Falun Gong Asks HK To Explain Why [Practitioners] Were Barred

July 2, 2002

HONG KONG (AP)--After 120 Falun Gong practitioners were allegedly barred from visiting Hong Kong to demonstrate during the handover anniversary,

[practitioners] demanded Wednesday that the government give an explanation.

"We are calling for a thorough investigation to let us know what are the reasons for this refused entry," Falun Gong spokeswoman Sharon Xu said.

[...]

Falun Gong said those kept out included 89 Taiwanese, and that about 30 Taiwanese who don't practice Falun Gong were also denied entry because they had the same names as [practitioners] of the meditation [group].

[...]

Xu called Tung's remarks "shocking." Falun Gong [practitioners] were to gather in a park later in the day and take a petition to Hong Kong's government.

"In a free and open society, everyone is free to express their opinions openly," Xu told The Associated Press. "If he calls that a disturbance, there's something wrong."

Falun Gong is banned in mainland China [...] and Jiang's government is carrying out an often-deadly crackdown to eradicate the group.

Falun Gong remains legal in Hong Kong, however, which maintains Western-style civil liberties, and the group frequently protests to demand the right to practice in the mainland. Although Hong Kong permits protests, [practitioners] say the authorities are less tolerant than usual when Jiang is in town.

Falun Gong said earlier more than 100 [practitioners] were kept out but Xu put the number Wednesday at 120. In addition to the Taiwanese, she said they included 13 from Australia; four from Japan; six from Macau; two each from the U.S., Sweden and Singapore; and one each from Switzerland and Indonesia.