Hong Kong: Falun Dafa Practitioners Hold Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference and Grand Parade against the Persecution

Clearwisdom Net Correspondent Wang Ying reports from Hong Kong -- On May 1, the 2004 Hong Kong Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference was solemnly held at Ming'ai Service Centre in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Nearly 700 Falun Gong practitioners from Taiwan, Canada, Australia, the United States, Malaysia, Thailand, Macao and Hong Kong attended this conference. On May 2, practitioners rallied at the Victoria Park, located between Causeway Bay and Tin Hau, Victoria Harbour and held a grand parade with the theme "Falun Gong peacefully and rationally opposing the persecution," demanding the Jiang's group to immediately release all imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners and stop the persecution.

2004 Hong Kong Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference is solemnly held

The World Journal reported on May 2 that several hundred Falun Gong practitioners from all over the world attended the 2004 Hong Kong Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference. Hong Kong Falun Gong contact person Huang Jieyi expressed when accepting an interview from the Central News Agency, that nearly 700 practitioners from Taiwan, Canada, Australia, the United States, Malaysia, Thailand, Macao and Hong Kong attended this Conference in the morning at Ming'ai Service Centre in Kowloon. Among them, about 300 were from Hong Kong and 300 from Taiwan.

Ms. Huang Jieyi pointed out that the conference encountered many difficulties. For instance, some practitioners from other countries or areas were barred from entry to the territory by the Hong Kong authorities and it was hard for the organisers to rent a conference hall. But there were still lots of practitioners attending this conference, said Ms. Huang. The conference hall was filled to capacity and she felt very encouraged.

She said that up to present, more than 15 practitioners from Taiwan and 4 from Macao were barred from entering Hong Kong by the authorities. Practitioners from other areas who were refused to enter Hong Kong are still being calculated.

Peacefully parading to call for an end to the persecution

Reading a statement outside the Chinese Liaison Office

BBC reported on May 2 that Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners staged a parade on Sunday (May 2) to request the Chinese government stop the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

Hong Kong media reported that several hundred Falun Gong practitioners rallied at the Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. They then marched to the Chinese Liaison Office, requesting the immediate release of imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners in China and an end to the persecution.

Wearing their trademark yellow T-shirts, the demonstrators held in hands signs that read, "Rescue Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China." A demonstrator from Boston, U.S.A. said that they tried to improve the human rights situation in China and the persecution in China should not be tolerated. It is reported that some of the parade attendees were from Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and U.S.A.

Unfortunately, according to Hong Kong media that quoted Hong Kong Falun Gong spokesperson Kan Hung-cheung, over the past one week, more than 20 practitioners from other countries or areas who planned to attend the parade were barred from entering Hong Kong by the authorities. Falun Gong claimed that 949 practitioners have died in police custody in China and thousands of practitioners are still imprisoned.

According to Central News Agency's report from Hong Kong on May 2, Falun Gong practitioners from more than ten countries and areas marched in the afternoon to the Chinese Liaison Office to protest the authorities' present ban on some overseas Falun Gong practitioners who planned to attend the conference from entering the territory.

The report said that several hundred Falun Gong practitioners gathered at Victoria Park and marched to the Chinese Liaison Office. The organiser estimated that about 700 people participated in the parade. Hong Kong Falun Gong spokesperson Kan Hung-cheung expressed strong protest and regret over the incident that about 25 practitioners from Taiwan and Macao were refused to enter Hong Kong. He said that they sent a letter to Lee Siu-kwong, the Secretary of Hong Kong Public Security, requesting him to investigate this incident and provide a clear explanation.

After the experience sharing conference on May 1, practitioners continued to hold a series of activities on May 2 including group exercise at Victoria Park, a press conference to oppose the persecution and a grand parade with theme of "Falun Gong peacefully and rationally opposing the persecution."

According to a recent report from the Associated Press, Mr. Wan who came to visit Hong Kong from Mainland, for the first time was surprised to see banners condemning Beijing government's suppression of Falun Gong. Mr. Wan said, "This kind of banner can not be seen in China. People should not be persecuted."