August 28, 2002

A Falun Gong follower who was banned from entering Hong Kong to take part in an exhibition featuring her paintings is considering legal action against the Immigration Department.

Australian-Chinese artist Zhang Cuiying, 40, who is now in the United States for her worldwide touring exhibition, was jailed on the mainland for eight months in 2000, for practising Falun Gong.

When Zhang flew to Hong Kong for a four-day exhibition at City Hall last Thursday, she was barred by immigration officials, who gave no explanation for their decision.

City Hall management also asked the organiser of the exhibition, weekly newspaper, The Epoch Times, not to distribute her exhibition catalogue, which contained information about Falun Gong and her experiences in jail. The order was ignored.

"The experience breaks my heart. There is no 'One Country, Two Systems' in Hong Kong anymore. Democracy does not exist," Zhang said.

"The purpose of my trip was for my exhibition. It's unreasonable for them to bar me from entering Hong Kong. I'm seeking legal advice to see what action I can take against the entry ban."

It is the second time Zhang has been barred from entering Hong Kong. She was stopped with more than 100 other Falun Gong followers planning to join the group's international conference in City Hall in January last year.

Zhang yesterday rebutted suggestions that she was making use of the exhibition to promote Falun Gong. "Many people know about Falun Gong. There is no need for me to promote it," she said.

She said as her practise of Falun Gong exercises had affected her painting style, she included information about the spiritual group in the catalogue.

But she said she was hopeful that she could one day be allowed to enter Hong Kong to exhibit her work.

The Epoch Times, which has been warned its display of the banned material may have seriously affected its chances of hiring government premises in future, is also considering seeking compensation from the Leisure and Culture Services Department for disturbing the exhibition.

An Immigration Department spokesman declined to comment on Zhang's case. But he said its officers took all relevant factors into account when deciding whether to allow entry.

[...]

A spokeswoman for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department yesterday refused to comment on whether it would ban The Epoch Times or Falun Gong-related activities from government premises.

A local spokeswoman for Falun Gong, Hui Cheung Yee-han, said none of the 70 bookings the group had made with the department since June last year had been approved. She said Zhang's experience was the tip of the iceberg where government controls were concerned.

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