Hong Kong: Jiang Group's Influence Seen as Falun Gong Practitioner Zenon Dolnyckyj is Denied Entry to Hong Kong

On the evening of February 18, the Hong Kong Government sent an unexpected "urgent fax" to China Airline. With the excuse that Zenon Dolnyckyj didn't have a visa, the Hong Kong government refused to allow Zenon to enter Hong Kong to promote his new book Coming for You. This is another incident in which one or more Falun Gong practitioners were barred from Hong Kong since more than 150 Taiwan Falun Gong practitioners with valid visas were forcefully deported by Hong Kong immigration authorities in 2002 and 2003.

Press Conference Held in Taiwan to Expose Details of the Incident

On the afternoon on February 19, together with President of Taiwan Falun Dafa Association, Zenon held a press conference at the Taiwan Legislative Yuan (council) to expose details of the incident.

It was noted that Canadian citizens do not need visas to enter Hong Kong. The fact that the Hong Kong government asked Zenon to provide a visa is a surprising exception. As Zenon has no criminal record and Falun Gong is a registered group in Hong Kong, this incident is just an unreasonable act by the Hong Kong government that violate its own laws. In addition, the fax listed Zenon's personal information such as birth date, passport number, flight number, and his itinerary. How could the Hong Kong government have obtained such information? Apparently, it is just another typical intrigue of the behind-the-scenes perpetrators—Jiang Zemin's group.

Because usually only dangerous people can trigger "urgent" case, Zenon was surprised to find himself involved in such a case. It is reported that before practicing Falun Gong, Zenon was a very selfish and unhealthy individual with an addiction to drugs, tobacco and alcohol. He was about to run away from home and society just before he found Falun Gong. Amazingly, Falun Gong transformed him into a compassionate and well-behaved young man.

Zenon said that he came from thousands of miles away. He stayed in Taiwan for 6 days. Besides participating in a press conference to promote his new book, he was also invited to several prisons to encourage and teach prisoners how to become good persons who benefit their families and society and obtain true happiness. He said: "How come I am regarded as a good person in this Chinese community while I am being treated as a bad guy in another Chinese community?

Canadian Trade Office In Taipei Has Been Informed about this Incident

After the press conference, Mr. Dolnyckyj went to the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei to meet with the office's deputy director, Johnny Poulin. Mr. Dolnyckyj presented Mr. Poulin a copy of the Hong Kong government's fax to China Airline, a Letter to the Canadian Government and a report of this incident. Johnny Poulin has faxed these three files to the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Regarding the fact that Zenon's person information had been illegally monitored, Mr. Poulin suggested that he should report this to the Taiwan Police. At the same time, Mr. Poulin also promised to provide any necessary assistance.

Background Information

Jiang's group has been using the state apparatus to spread its lie that "Western society also bans Falun Gong." To expose this lie, together with another 35 western Falun Gong practitioners, Zenon went to Tiananmen Square and displayed a huge golden "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" banner on November 20, 2001. This incident astounded the world. He also shouted loudly "Falun Dafa is good, Europe knows, Canada knows, the U.S. Knows and the whole world knows that Falun Dafa is good!" [He shouted these words in Chinese] All of sudden, Falun Gong practitioner Zenon became a well-known figure. After returning to Canada, many western media strove to interview him and write stories about him.

Encouraged by his friends, Zenon wrote Coming for You which details his experience in China. Zenon arrived in Taiwan on February 13 for a 6-day visit. He participated in a press conference to promote his new book, and also visited the Kaohsiung Second Prison, Taipei Youth Re-education Centre, and Changhua Prison to share with prisoners his experience of returning to goodness by practicing Falun Gong.

Zenon was scheduled to leave Taiwan in the evening of February 18 for a 4-day visit to Hong Kong, also to promote his new book. However, he was refused boarding at Chiang Kai-Shek International airport.

Attachment: Solemn Statement of Hong Kong Practitioners Regarding the Hong Kong Government's Barring Zenon Dolnyckyj

We just learned that Canadian Falun Gong practitioner, Mr. Zenon Dolnyckyj, was refused boarding at Taiwan Airport because of a so-called "urgent fax" sent by Hong Kong immigration. As a result, Mr. Zenon Dolnyckyj couldn't board his plane to Hong Kong. We are shocked and puzzled.

According to Hong Kong immigration regulations, Canadian citizens can stay in Hong Kong for 90 days without obtaining a visa. Mr. Dolnyckyj had been to Hong Kong several times before without any incident, and he doesn't have a criminal record in Hong Kong. This time he was invited by a Hong Kong publisher to promote his new book Coming for You and his visit had been publicized. It is completely unreasonable for Hong Kong immigration to specially require Mr. Dolnyckyj to obtain a visa.

This incident can only remind us of the three incidents in which from 2001 to 2003, Hong Kong immigration unreasonably barred many foreign Falun Gong practitioners from entering Hong Kong for registered events. For example, Taiwan alone had more than 150 practitioners forcefully deported by the Hong Kong government, even though they all had valid visa. After that incident, the only explanation was that the Hong Kong government was intimidated and pressured by Jiang's group to extend Jiang's persecution policies to Hong Kong. Such actions not only violated the regulations regarding freedom of belief and freedom of assembly in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the spirit of Hong Kong's respecting Human Rights and ruling by laws, it also seriously damaged Hong Kong's image as an international metropolis and free city. Given that the Hong Kong government has again been manipulated by the Jiang faction to persecute Falun Gong practitioners and sabotage Hong Kong's human rights and rule of law, we express our deep protest and regret. This incident happened after Hong Kong public successfully protested the Mainland authority's vicious Article 23, and the Hong Kong government thus further disappointed the public.

We call on the Hong Kong government not to act as the Jiang group's accomplices to attack kindness and persecute innocent people, but rather to really respect human rights and the rule of law. We also urge the authorities to take all necessary measures to redeem any bad impact, correct the mistake of barring Falun Gong practitioners and unconditionally return Mr. Zenon Dolnyckyj's legal right to visit Hong Kong without a visa.

Hong Kong Falun Dafa Practitioners