Radio Free Asia: Falun Gong Practitioners in Hong Kong Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day

(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioners in Hong Kong held two events on Thursday to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day. They hoped that the Chinese government would make concrete reforms to end the abuse of prisoners by law enforcement personnel and end the persecution of Falun Gong.

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May 13 is the Fifth Annual World Falun Day. Falun Gong practitioners in Hong Kong held two events in the morning and evening. From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., over 200 practitioners held a group practice and chorus at the Bicentennial Park in Kowloon Peninsula. From 7 pm to 9 p.m., they had an exercise demonstration, a choir and dance performance at a pedestrian area of a busy street. A group of practitioners with yellow suits played waist drums.

The emcee of the event was Mr. Hsu, a Hong Kong government official. He told the reporter that Falun Gong practitioners including him volunteered their time after work time to participate in the practice and performance.

Mr. Hsu said, "Actually practitioners participating in the event here come after work hours, including those playing waist drums and singing. That's why we held the event in the evening, because everyone needs to go to work."

In the evening, the busy street was crowded with passers-by. The performance of Falun Gong practitioners caught the attention of many passers-by causing them to stop and look, including many visitors likely from Mainland China. They were interested in the performance and some accepted flyers, but were afraid to be interviewed.

The coordinator of waist drum team is a practitioner who came from Mainland China a few years ago. He said during an interview that he wished the Chinese government would stop the persecution of Falun Gong. When asked about the recent reforms promised in China that would punish law enforcement personnel who abuse prisoners and infringe on human rights, he said that violators should be investigated and punished. He said, "I wish it would happen. However, for so many years I feel these reforms have been superficial like many other movements I experienced in China throughout my education in a university in Beijing and then coming to Hong Kong after working for about two years. The movements are political and only superficial."

Reporter, "Do you think the persecution of Falun Gong will be alleviated'"

Coordinator, "I think superficially it [the reforms] can alleviate it a little."

However, a female practitioner held a different view.

Female practitioner, "As long as Jiang controls the army, the persecution won't stop. That is for sure. However, what we want to do is to have more and more Chinese people know the truth."

Falun Gong spokesman in Hong Kong, Mr. Kan Hung-cheung said in an interview, "In the past under Chinese communist control, many laws were made, including a constitution and laws protecting human rights. But under Jiang's control, these laws are not executed. Now China has changed leaders. If the government can respect human rights and realize the laws of protecting human rights and punish those using torture, it would be a good thing for the Chinese people and an action to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. The question is whether the law applies to Falun Gong practitioners being tortured in China."

The above is report from RFA reporter Lin Di.