Hong Kong Falun Gong Practitioners Petition In Front of the China Liaison Office Requesting an End to the Persecution and the Return of Practitioners' Travel Documents

Around noon on February 7, 2005, about 50 Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners petitioned in front the China Liaison Office, requesting the Chinese government to stop the persecution of Falun Gong, to release all jailed Falun Gong practitioners and return Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners' travel documents.

Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioner reading an open letter in front the China Liaison Office

At the end of 1999, over 30 Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners had their travel documents to China confiscated due to appealing to the Chinese government, or visiting friends and relatives in China. Ms. Liu Yuling, who is now over 60 years old, talked about her own experiences. In November 1999, she and a few other practitioners went to Beijing to appeal for Falun Gong. She was deported but her travel document was not confiscated at that time. In 2000, Ms. Liu went back to Beijing. On January 15, 2000, she was arrested because of practising Falun Gong in a park. Liu Yuling was deported again and her travel document was confiscated. Since then, she has not been able to go back to her hometown of Beijing. Ms. Liu said she was upset about this. She believes that travelling to one's hometown is a basic right of Hong Kong residents, but she was illegally deprived of this right by Jiang Zemin and the Communist Regime.

A few dozen practitioners held a peaceful sitting protest outside of the building; some practitioners unfurled a banner and read an open letter near the gate of the China Liaison Office. The letter requested the Chinese government to stop Jiang and his followers' persecution of Falun Gong immediately, release all jailed Falun Gong practitioners, and bring the responsible people who initiated and perpetrate the persecution to justice. The Falun Gong practitioners stated that illegally depriving the travel rights of Hong Kong residents severely tramples human rights, and they hoped that society would become aware of the issue and help. Practitioners pointed out that there were over 1,353 Falun Gong practitioners persecuted to death during the over 5-year-long suppression. There are still thousands of practitioners illegally jailed in prisons and forced labour camps, including four Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners.

Falun Gong practitioners called on the Chinese government to divest themselves of the control of an evil faction and to choose a bright future along with other people of conscience.

[Open letter omitted]