DATE=12/11/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=HONG KONG - FALUN GONG (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-257059
BYLINE=GRACE CUTLER
DATELINE=HONG KONG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: About one thousand followers of the Falun Gong
meditation sect Saturday gathered outside the Hong
Kong headquarters of China's Xinhua News Agency.
Grace Cutler reports from the Chinese territory, the
group gathered to protest China's crackdown on fellow
Falun Gong members.
TEXT: //SOUND OF MUSIC AND MEDITATION TAPE//
Falun Gong practitioners from about 20 countries--many
dressed in bright yellow shirts--lined the walkways
adjacent to China's Xinhua News Agency in Hong Kong.
With closed eyes, they meditated and performed
stretching exercises.
Representatives from many of the visiting countries
delivered letters of protest to Xinhua concerning the
government crackdown on fellow practitioners in China.
Beijing considers Falun Gong an evil cult and outlawed
the practice in July. Members of the meditation group
say as many as 30-thousand Falun Gong followers in
China have been detained or imprisoned by the
government.
Practitioners are in Hong Kong as a part of a three-
day regional conference. The annual meeting is the
largest gathering of Falun Gong practitioners in Hong
Kong since the Chinese government outlawed the group.
Falun Gong is allowed in the Chinese territory because
it has a separate legal system from China.
Fiona Chin, a spokeswoman for conference organizers,
says members gathered here want to spread the word
that Falun Gong is a peaceful and benevolent group.
//CHIN ACT//
We would like to have a meeting in Hong Kong at this
point in time when the Chinese are really suppressing
the practitioners in China. Because Hong Kong is part
of China now and to be able to hold such a conference
by practitioners from around the world is very
meaningful.
//END ACT//
Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa Saturday
warned Falun Gong followers not to do anything to
jeopardize the one country - two systems policy. Human
Rights are protected in Hong Kong under the agreement
in which the territory was handed back to China from
Great Britain in 1997. (signed)
NEB/GC/PLM
11-Dec-1999 04:02 AM EDT (11-Dec-1999 0902 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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