AP: Falun Gong members refuse to pay fines for obstruction conviction, even if that means jail

Mon Aug 19, 6:13 AM ET
By MIN LEE, Associated Press Writer

HONG KONG - One of the Falun Gong followers convicted of public obstruction during a protest against China's crackdown on the group said Monday the defendants were refusing a court's order that they pay their fines; even if that meant going to jail.

"We did not break any laws," defendant Wang Yiu-hing told reporters. "Even if we go to jail we're not going to pay the fines."

The Falun Gong followers filed court papers early Monday seeking to avoid paying the fines while they appeal their convictions, but Magistrate Symon Wong turned them down within hours, Wang said. The Falun Gong followers then decided they would not pay by Wong's deadline of late Monday, she said.

"The verdict is grossly unfair and biased," Falun Gong spokeswoman Sharon Xu said earlier.

Wong convicted the Falun Gong followers; including four Swiss and one New Zealand citizen; on Thursday in Hong Kong's first-ever criminal trial against members of the meditation group.

Wong fined the defendants between 1,300 Hong Kong dollars (U.S. dlrs 167) and 3,800 Hong Kong dollars (U.S. dlrs 487) but nobody got any jail time.

The Falun Gong followers were found guilty of public obstruction and of acting in a way that might cause an obstruction during a protest March 14 on a sidewalk outside the Chinese government liaison office in Hong Kong.

Nine of the defendants were convicted of the more serious charge of obstructing police. Three were convicted of assaulting the police [...]

All sixteen followers have already lodged an appeal, and Falun Gong said it is weighing the option of taking legal action against Hong Kong or Chinese officials for what they view as wrongful arrests and an improper prosecution.

Falun Gong followers held a news conference later Monday to attack what they called a trumped-up case against the defendants. Falun Gong repeated its contention that the demonstrators had taken up only a small part of the sidewalk in front of the Chinese office and had not caused any obstruction.

"If that counts as obstructing the street, it would be hard to protest at all in the future," said Falun Gong spokesman Kan Hung-cheung.

The defendants were protesting here against the suppression of Falun Gong in mainland China [...] Falun Gong remains free to practice in Hong Kong, but its frequent demonstrations here have outraged Beijing's local allies.

Hong Kong police and the magistrate who tried the case said the defendants' Falun Gong activities were not at issue, but local human rights activists and opposition politicians called the case a blatantly political prosecution to appease Beijing.

Justice Department spokeswoman Winnie Wong declined comment on the defendants' request to put off paying their fines.

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