Taiwanese Falun Gong Practitioners Charge Hong Kong SAR Government with Human Rights Violations

In late February 2003, when Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners with officially issued visas went to Hong Kong to attend a Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference that had been approved by the local authorities, about 80 of them were compulsorily detained by the Hong Kong Immigration Office and later violently deported by the police. Hong Kong police injured several female practitioners due to the violent treatment. Among the practitioners who were deported are people from all walks of life in Taiwan, including doctors, lawyers, a deputy CEO of a media corporation, government employees, policemen, and company managers. Although these people went to Hong Kong to attend officially approved activities and they did not have any criminal records in Hong Kong or Taiwan, they were still deported for no reason. This incident has severely violated the basic human rights of the people in both Taiwan and Hong Kong. The Human Rights Consultation Group in the Office of the President of Taiwan and the Mainland Affairs Council respectively lodged stern protests to the Hong Kong SAR government in March 2003.

Together with Kan Hung-cheung, Hong Kong Falun Gong spokesperson, Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners Zhu Wanqi, Liao Xiaolan, Zhang Zhenyu and Lu Liqing, who were deported from Hong Kong, lodged an overseas lawsuit in early April in an attempt to bring the Hong Kong SAR government to justice for its human rights violation. This has become the first overseas case in which the Taiwan and Hong Kong people have jointly charged the Hong Kong SAR government with human rights violation. The five plaintiffs entrusted the reputable Hong Kong human rights lawyer, Paul Harris, to present the case to the Hong Kong court. It is requested that the Hong Kong court judge that:

1. the administrative order by the Hong Kong Immigration Office to forcefully deport Falun Gong practitioners was illegal;


2. it was illegal to use violent means during the deportation process;


3. the Hong Kong SAR government should compensate the four Taiwanese Falun Gong practitioners for illegally detaining all of them and using violence against two of them.

After the Hong Kong judges examined the plaintiff's documents and evidence, they officially informed the plaintiff's lawyer on April 29, 2003 that they agreed to initiate a legal investigation into the case presented by the plaintiff and a date would be determined soon for court examination. The Hong Kong court also approved the application to appear in the court examination by the four Taiwanese plaintiffs. Therefore, prior to the court date, the four Taiwanese plaintiffs will enter Hong Kong and appear in court together with the Hong Kong plaintiff. The plaintiff's lawyer said that according to the legal codes, the Hong Kong court will give the Hong Kong Immigration Office some time to prepare the materials to defend this case. It is expected that the court date will be set for 3 months later.

The Taiwanese plaintiffs welcomed the decision by the Hong Kong court when they learned that the Hong Kong court agreed to initiate legal proceedings to investigate the decision made by the Hong Kong Immigration Office to deport Falun Gong practitioners and the excessively violent conduct of the Hong Kong Police. Plaintiffs Zhu Wanji, Liao Xiaolan, Zhang Zhenyu, and Lu Liqing expressed unanimously, "Human rights violations are no different from SARS [in terms of their harm to humanity]. In recent history, the number of people who have died or suffered because of human rights persecution far exceeds the total death due to SARS. Take Falun Dafa practitioners as an example: the number of practitioners who have died or were tortured due to the persecution by Jiang's regime totals more than 100,000. SARS is an epidemic throughout Beijing and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government should learn a lesson from Beijing, which initially blocked information on SARS. If the Hong Kong government cooperates with Beijing in terms of its anti-human rights policies, it would only result in heavenly anger and worldly indignation. We hope that the Hong Kong government will show the international community through this trial:

1. Hong Kong will no longer follow Beijing's policies of anti-human rights and anti-freedom;


2. Hong Kong will restore justice to the Taiwanese people and Falun Gong practitioners based on its independent legal system;


3. the Hong Kong government will stop being utilised by Jiang's regime against human rights and humanity through its judiciary procedures;


4. Hong Kong will refuse the extension and expansion of the CCP's totalitarianism."

Although SARS is severe in Hong Kong, the four plaintiffs are still willing to go to Hong Kong and show up in court, "No matter how this plague develops in Hong Kong, we will be in court, just like many medical workers in Taiwan who volunteer to work in the Peace Hospital based on their faith. In order to safeguard the human rights of Falun Dafa practitioners, uphold the dignity of the Taiwanese people, and maintain social justice and fairness in Hong Kong, we will not, and should not either, step back."