Monday, 19-Aug-2002 5:10AM

HONG KONG, Aug 19 (AFP) - Sixteen members of the Falungong spiritual group convicted of causing a public obstruction during a protest here are considering filing a civil suit against the Hong Kong authorities, the group said Monday.

The 16 -- four Swiss nationals, one New Zealander and 11 from Hong Kong -- were convicted last week of causing a public obstruction during a March 14 protest outside of China's main office in this former British colony.

"It is still in a planning stage. We're still studying the feasibility of it, and who will be involved in it," said Sharon Xu, Falungong spokeswoman.

Xu said the 16 practitioners had refused to pay the fines levied by the court despite the fact the fines were due for payment on Monday.

"It is a matter of principle," due to financial difficulties of some convicted practitioners, and the 16 Falungong members had filed an appeal on Saturday against Thursday's verdict which Xu described as "grossly unfair". [Editor's note: it was the reporter's misunderstanding that the practitioners had financial difficulties.]

"We will have to see what will happen next after their refusal to pay the fines," said Xu.

The 16 Falungong practitioners were each fined between 1,300 and 3,800 Hong Kong dollars (165-490 US dollars).

Earlier, another Falungong spokeswoman, Sophie Xiao, told AFP that "the fines hadn't been paid because under Hong Kong law it is allowed to postpone payment of fines until an appeal is heard.

In a statement, the Falungong said the 16 were considering taking legal action in the form of a civil suit against the Hong Kong authorities for "laying false charges and engaging in unlawful conduct during the forceful removal operation" of the March 14 protestors.

"Because the verdict was clearly unfair, these Falungong practitioners found it morally impossible to accept these convictions as well as the persecution that (was) imposed on them," the statement said. "They will appeal until a fair verdict is reached."

The case marked the first time criminal charges have been brought in Hong Kong against members of the Falungong, which is legal in the territory but banned as [Jiang's regime's slanderous words] in mainland China.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region that is supposed to have a degree of autonomy from Beijing, and the case was seen as a test of the independence of the territory's judicial system.

[...]

The Falungong says that since its banning, tens of thousands of its followers have been jailed or sent to labor camps. It also alleges that hundreds of its followers have died in police detention.

http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/bt/Qhongkong-sect.R3Y3_CaJ.html