Ming Bao (Hong Kong Chinese Newspaper): Falun Gong Sues Immigration for Discrimination

Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners held a press conference in Taipei City to protest Hong Kong Immigration Office's expelling of Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners

Hong Kong Chinese newspaper Ming Bao reported on April 8 2003 that Hong Kong Falun Gong spokesperson Kan Hung-cheung and four Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners sued the Immigration Office for religious discrimination, requested a review of the decision of Immigration Office and asked for compensations.

A spokesperson of the Immigration Office said the case was still under process and declined to answer questions. The Taiwan Continental Committee expressed deep concern and protest about the Hong Kong government's unfriendly actions on the day after Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners were refused entry to Hong Kong.

The four practitioners refused entry to Hong Kong are the vice president of International New York Life Insurance Corp Ms. Zhu Wanqi, Liao Xiaolan, Lu Liqing and Zhang Zhenyu. Zhu Wanqi had once before been denied entry to Hong Kong, but the other three practitioners had no previous record.

Eighty Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners Denied Entry to Hong Kong

The statement said in total more than eighty Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners were refused entry to Hong Kong, including the four plaintiffs. They had planned to attend the "World Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference" on February 22, 2003. When they arrived at Hong Kong on February 21, the Immigration Office rejected their entry without reasonable explanation and expelled them on the same return flight.

The plaintiffs expressed that the Immigration Office rejected their entry because they were Falun Gong practitioners, so this was an obvious case of religious discrimination and violated the "Basic Law" of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Human Rights Acts, as well as international human rights treaties. They requested the court to overturn the Immigration Office's decision.

Two of the plaintiffs were violently expelled, though they offered no resistance. The violence left them with many injuries and thus they requested compensation.

As reported earlier, about 400 Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners attended a Hong Kong Anti-Article 23 parade in addition to attending the Falun Dafa experience sharing conference.