Falun Dafa Associations from twenty-two countries joined forces to send a joint
statement condemning Hong Kong’s refusal of entry and forced deportation of hundreds
of Falun Dafa practitioners, most of whom were from Taiwan. Practitioners were
traveling to Hong Kong to participate in demonstrations marking the tenth anniversary
of the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China.
Practitioners were denied boarding on Hong Kong bound flights from many airports.
Hundreds who arrived in Hong Kong were refused entry at the airport. All were
deported, some violently so.
The statement, addressed personally to Mr. Donald Tsang who holds Hong Kong’s
top government post as Chief Executive, said:
"It is regrettable that Hong Kong’s biggest human rights scandal happened
during your tenure as Chief Executive. As the Chinese Communist regime proclaimed
its achievement that Hong Kong people have enjoyed a high degree of autonomy
in the ten years following Hong Kong’s return to China, what the international
society has witnessed is not the success of "one country, two systems,"
but the darkest page in Hong Kong human rights history.
"The basic rights of over 500 Taiwan citizens and Falun Gong practitioners
who went to Hong Kong with legal visas and planned to participate in demonstration
activities sanctioned by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)
Government before July 1, 2007, have been seriously infringed upon.
"Hong Kong Immigration’s ill-natured administrative decision of illegal
deportation with force not only has infringed upon the peaceful Taiwan Falun
Gong practitioners’ personal freedom, freedom of travel, freedom of belief,
freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, but it has also truly damaged
Hong Kong’s international image with respect to freedom and the rule of law.
The Hong Kong police force is not the CCP’s police force, yet they took violent
measures to deal with these unarmed and peaceful practitioners. What the injured
practitioners recorded and videotaped has become irrefutable evidence of the
crimes committed by the Hong Kong government against Falun Gong practitioners.
"However, all Falun Gong practitioners know that the order barring them
from entering Hong Kong and forcibly deporting them back to Taiwan was not really
made by the Hong Kong government. And we do know that it was Chinese Vice President
Zeng Qinghong that masterminded this shameful and despicable plot. In other
words, the Hong Kong SAR government was forced to follow the order from Zeng
Qinghong."
The statement went on to caution Hong Kong authorities to respect the rule
of law and their own consciences. Following the dictates of the CCP regime is
a foolish path to follow while the CCP itself is crumbling under the overwhelming
tide of Party withdrawals. Choosing to do the right thing and helping to stop
the persecution of Falun Gong can only bring them a good future, while following
the CCP in its crimes can bring no good whatsoever.
Posting date: 6/July/2007
Original article date: 5/July/2007
Category: World News