August 7, 2002
Your Excellency,
I am writing to you on behalf of the Falun Dafa Association Ireland to express our concerns over current events that are happening in Hong Kong. Currently there is a trial of Falun Dafa practitioners, 4 of whom are Swiss and 12 others are Hong Kong citizens. They are charged with obstructing a path, obstructing police and even assaulting police. These practitioners were merely appealing peacefully while meditating in front of the Chinese Liaison Office when they were assaulted and removed by the police. What would cause the Hong Kong police to attack the rights of its citizens and foreigners who were acting in accordance to the Hong Kong basic law? The real trial seems to be of the autonomy of Hong Kong and its independence from the Chinese Government.
If this were a just court this case would have been thrown out long ago. Yet as it continues the influence from Beijing is becoming more apparent to the world and the world's media. The Associated Press reported Harris the defense barrister as saying to the magistrate "Yesterday you twice personally insulted me... I've never in 25 years of practice as barrister, had my integrity questioned." They also reported the judge as saying to Harris "fight like a man". What is happening in the back ground to make the courts magistrate behave in such a bizarre fashion can only be guessed.
This trial has had a far-reaching effect. In Ireland a local Falun Dafa practitioner who was recently released from a labour camp planned travelling to Hong Kong to give evidence. Zhao Ming suffered in a labour camp for nearly two years before being released. He was released because the Irish government and people learned the true nature of his detention and made great efforts on his behalf. In the labour camp he was tortured ruthlessly and planned on giving evidence at this trial to expose the nature of the persecution. He was not even permitted to fill out an application form by the Chinese Embassy in Dublin who immediately recognized him. If Hong Kong is truly autonomous why was he refused to even fill an application form?
This is not a simple trial and its verdict will echo far beyond Hong Kong's borders. This trial can be viewed as a trial of Hong Kong's autonomy, independence but most importantly its integrity. The Chinese Government has persecuted Falun Dafa practitioners for over three years and many people have been tortured to death as a result. We hope the Hong Kong government will not dirty its international reputation by kowtowing to the Chinese Government.
Yours sincerely,
Gerald O'Connor
on behalf of Falun Dafa Association Ireland
