Written on February 23, 2003

Hundreds of Falun Gong practitioners coming from various places around the world divided into two groups and practiced the exercises at Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong this morning, expressing their opposition to the Article 23 legislation and urging the Chinese government to release all practitioners who are being detained in China.

At 8:00 in the morning, in the park at Tsim Sha Tsui, over 400 practitioners from outside Hong Kong practiced Falun Gong exercises together and formed four characters --"Righteous Thoughts, Righteous Actions." They requested that the Chinese government release all overseas and Chinese practitioners who are being illegally detained in China, and stop persecuting and killing Falun Gong practitioners.

At the same time, outside the Immigration Tower located in Wan Chai, about 400 mostly local Hong Kong practitioners also held group practice. The Hong Kong Falun Buddha Fa Association held a press conference outside the Immigration Tower at 11:30 am.

At 12:30 pm, practitioners paraded from Wan Chai to Central where the Hong Kong government is located, in protest of Article 23. At 5:30 pm, the Hong Kong Falun Buddha Fa Association held an open forum titled "Opposing the evil Article 23." Many invited guests attended, including an officer from the "Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor."