Ireland: Falun Dafa Association's Letter to the British Embassy Regarding the Hong Kong Trial

August 7, 2002

Your Excellency,

I'm writing to you on behalf of the Ireland Falun Dafa Association, expressing our great concern at the trial occurring in Hong Kong. Sixteen Falun Dafa practitioners are being illegally tried on charges of "obstructing traffic" and "assaulting police." These charges are completely groundless, as the attached photos and documents will attest to. Our greatest concern is that the presiding judge seems to be under the strong influence of Mainland China's Jiang regime, who has been brutally persecuting Falun Dafa for more than three years.

When the United Kingdom stopped governing Hong Kong, the Chinese government promised the people of Hong Kong autonomy for 50 years. There is reason to believe that this autonomy is being challenged just five years later. In the current trial there is no evidence to substantiate the claims made by the prosecution. In a country that is not influenced by the Chinese government, this case would have never gone to trial. Falun Dafa practitioners worldwide are very concerned about the precedent this case could set in Hong Kong.

A further example of the autonomy and independence of Hong Kong being undermined by the Chinese government lies in the case of Zhao Ming, a practitioner who studies in Trinity College at Dublin. Mr. Zhao was released from a forced labor camp and allowed to return to Ireland due to great efforts by the Irish government and people. His crime was practicing Falun Gong and refining himself according to the principle of "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance." In the forced labor camp he was brutally tortured, so he planned on travelling to Hong Kong to give evidence to expose the nature of the government's suppression of the practice. However, he was not permitted by the Chinese embassy in Dublin to even fill out an application form.

In China at least 70 million people have been persecuted over the last three years, leading to countless deaths and immeasurable suffering. They have had many show trials and people have been sentenced of up to 18 years in jail for practicing their peaceful spiritual belief. Many people never even received trials and have been languishing in labor camps with no official charges made against them. The Chinese government wants the same control and influence over Hong Kong. As a former ruler over Hong Kong Special Autonomous Region, you may have a certain influence there. We sincerely hope that you will do what you can to help ensure that justice is served.

Sincerely,

A Representative of the Ireland Falun Dafa Association