(Clearwisdom.net) The Taiwan Falun Dafa Association held a press conference on July 1, 2007, condemning the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for extending its influence and persecution into Hong Kong and issuing an urgent call to the Taiwan government and the people of Taiwan to be concerned about the basic human rights issues that closely relate to them.
The Taiwan Falun Dafa Association's July 1 press conference. Government officials, people from human rights groups, and deported practitioners were invited to speak out against the CCP and to alert the Taiwan government and its people.
More than a thousand people attended the press conference, condemning the Hong Kong government for assisting the CCP in persecuting Falun Gong.
In order to protest the Hong Kong government's acceptance of the CCP's blacklist and its denial of entry of Taiwanese citizens, more than a thousand Falun Gong practitioners and the public attended the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association's press conference on July 1. The Divine Land Marching Band, composed of more than 200 members, performed at the event. Chairman of the Falun Dafa Association Chang Ching-hsi said that the Divine Land Marching Band was supposed to be in Hong Kong that day to participate in the July 1 Grand Parade, but over two-thirds of its members were unable to enter Hong Kong.
Hong Kong armed police wrapped a practitioner in an anti-riot blanket, tied her up on a hauling vehicle, and deported her. They filmed the entire process.
A number of Falun Gong practitioners who were manhandled during the deportation process showed the bruises they had sustained. Two reporters recounted from their own personal experience that Falun Gong practitioners holding valid entry visas were taken from customs to the detention center.
The Sound of Hope reporter, Ms. Liao Shu-hui, said that the practitioners who were taken away by the immigration department officers called out for assistance but to no avail, because the CCP was manipulating the situation behind the scenes and the immigration department had no recourse. She pointed out that two high-ranking officials in the immigration department were behind these deportation matters, one of them surnamed Mai. While in the detention center, practitioners were not allowed to use the bathroom, and some had severe vomiting.
The reporter pointed out that this incident violated both the Taiwanese people and the reporter.
Taiwan Writers' Association member and reporter of a weekly magazine Zhao Hsiao-hui recommended that, regarding the blacklist, Taiwan's national security department should review the matter and the International Writers' Association should also issue a statement to protect reporters' freedom to report.
Practitioners Demand that Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, and Li Lanqing Be Brought to Justice
Theresa Chu, chief executive of the Human Rights Law Foundation Asia Branch, who was deported twice by the Hong Kong government, pointed out that protesting the large-scale mass deportation of Falun Gong practitioners is not for any political reason, but because the chief culprits of the persecution Falun Gong, including Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, and Li Lanqing, need to be brought to justice in Hong Kong.
Theresa Chu said that, according to initial estimates, from 2001 to 2006 about 240 Falun Gong practitioners have been denied entry and deported, but always on a smaller scale. This was the greatest number of entry denials and deportations in Hong Kong's history.
She believed that the experience of more than 500 Falun Gong practitioners, including herself, is evidence that the catch phrases "Hong Kong people's high degree of autonomy over the past ten years" and "One country, two systems" are completely empty promises. She also pointed out that this incident tells the Taiwanese people, "Everyone that the CCP dislikes, no matter the group and even if in Hong Kong, will be subjected to rude treatment. This time, regardless of whether you are a reporter or lawyer, their personal, painful experiences should be enough to convince the Taiwanese people."
May Appeal to the UN
Theresa Chu planned to submit a formal petition to the Taiwan Legislative Yuan and the Mainland Affairs Council in hopes that they can take the incident a step further and speak out on behalf of human rights. She will also file a formal petition to leaders of political parties, the Taiwan government, the President and Vice-president.
She said that if her petition in Taiwan does not get a substantial and effective response, she will make an international appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. By then she will be able to provide information regarding the Taiwan government's response, the response of the Hong Kong government, and the treatment of the Taiwanese practitioners.
Regarding the judicial review submitted to the Supreme Court on June 30, she will invite persecuted reporters, human rights lawyers, and the responsible department in the US to ask the Hong Kong government to maintain its judicial independence. Theresa Chu also called on everybody to write to those responsible for collecting the blacklist for the Hong Kong government and publicly using violence against Falun Gong practitioners and to express to them their strongest condemnation.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC): Is Hong Kong Celebrating "One Country One System" on July 1?
Vice-chairman of the MAC of the Executive Yuan Tung Chen-yuan represented the government department in attending the press conference. He said that Taiwanese visitors who held valid travel documents were deported by the Hong Kong government without being given any reason. The Councilm embers were very angry and expressed serious protest and condemnation regarding Hong Kong's violation of personal freedom.
Vice-chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council Tung Chen-yuan
Prof. Ming Chu-Cheng from the Department of Politics, National Taiwan University, showed the Vice-chairman the list of those who will be denied entry. The Hong Kong government provided the list to all airline companies.
Considering that the Taiwanese passengers who went to Hong Kong between June 26 to July 1 were unable to enter, Tung Chen-yuan questioned, "There are many celebration activities today in Hong Kong. But are they celebrating 'one country, two systems,' 'Hong Kong people rule Hong Kong,' 'a high degree of autonomy' or 'one country, one system?'"
Vice-chairman of the Taiwan Human Rights Promotion Committee Liu Ching-yi said that how a country controls access into that country is a basic indication of whether or not the country is democratic and follows the rule of law, if it is a civilized country, and if it respects people's dignity.
Vice-chairman of Taiwan Human Rights Promotion Committee Liu Ching-yi
Liu Ching-yi said that the Hong Kong government's behavior at the behest of Beijing authorities, viewed from the norm of international human rights, has violated the freedoms of travel, of expressing opinions, and of assembly and association, and also touches on the forbidden areas of personal freedom and unlawful detention. Moreover, on the procedure of detaining the Taiwanese people, it is questionable if they were given the right to be accompanied by their lawyers when being interrogated.
Legislator Ong Tu-fa
Representatives expressing people's opinions at the press conference emphatically called on the Taiwan government to pay close attention to the deportation incident. Legislator One Tu-fa said that the incident indicates that freedom and law in Hong Kong are non-existent. He noted that the CCP has extended its influence into every corner of Hong Kong, and this incident has served as a big warning. Some people advocate ultimate unification or a "Great China Economic Circle," from unifying economies to political unification. If that means to turning Taiwan into the next Hong Kong, it is worth careful consideration. He called on the Taiwan government's relevant departments, ministry of foreign affairs, the MAC, and the Straits Exchange Foundation to be strong and make a stern protest. He also called on countries that pay attention to human rights to be particularly concerned about the CCP's persecution of human rights.
It Is Not a Falun Gong Issue, It Is an Issue That Concerns Every Taiwan Citizen
Spokesperson for Taiwan Solidarity Union Chou Mei-li expressed her grief over this matter. She especially stressed that this is not a Falun Gong issue, but a problem that every citizen holding a Taiwan passport must be concerned about, because it is very possible that next person from Taiwan will be detained and deported.
She considered this is a huge violation of basic international human rights. She called on the Taiwan government to negotiate with Hong Kong as soon as possible to safeguard Taiwan citizens' basic human rights, and to require a third country to be involved in the negotiations.
Chairman of the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association Chang Ching-hsi said that if the Hong Kong government can arbitrarily persecute anybody without any reason, then every one of us may become the target of the persecution. Falun Gong is only a symbol of the persecution.
Chairman of the Chinese Association for Human Rights Wu Hui-lin said that because "Falun Gong practitioners have sacrificed and stepped forward to appeal, we have learned that the CCP indeed maintains a blacklist." Taiwanese people should be alerted and see clearly the CCP's trick of a united front. This is "Heaven Blesses Taiwan."
He called on the Taiwan government to make the Falun Gong incident known to all counties and cities in Taiwan and to let the Taiwan people stand up to say "No" to the CCP. He also called on the Taiwan media to be brave enough to extensively spread the news to the public. He said that only by doing so would such a thing no longer happen to the Taiwan people.
Category: April 25 Events
