Freed Swiss Falun Gong Followers Resume Hong Kong Protest

HONG KONG (AP)--Four Swiss Falun Gong followers resumed a protest outside China's liaison office Friday, but 12 Hong Kong practitioners remain in custody - refusing bail after being arrested in a scuffle with police.

The Swiss, who were freed late Thursday, moved their demonstration several steps away from the front door of the Chinese government office, to exactly the spot police told them earlier they could use for their protest.

Swiss protester Erich Bachmann said police had threatened to deport the foreign Falun Gong followers if they didn't cooperate, a charge disputed by Police Superintendent Michael Chiu.

The Swiss are vowing to refuse food for three days in protest of China's crackdown on Falun Gong but disputed suggestions they sought to provoke the arrests to gain publicity. They were arrested after police repeatedly warned them to move following complaints from the Chinese liaison office.

"It is 100 percent sure we did nothing illegal," said Bachmann, who comes from the northern Swiss village of Kreuzlingen. The Swiss said they had earlier been denied entry to mainland China, where Falun Gong is outlawed as an "[slanderous term used by Chinese government]."

Falun Gong spokeswoman Sharon Xu said the Hong Kong practitioners - arrested when they formed a circle to try to shield the Swiss from police - were refusing bail because they saw it as an admission of wrongdoing.

"They want to be released unconditionally," Xu said.

Chiu said he wasn't sure what the police could do while the Falun Gong followers won't accept bail.

"We have no option but to keep them here," Chiu said. "We're obtaining legal advice as to what to do next."
Police arrested the Falun Gong followers for obstruction but no charges have been filed yet.

The meditation [group] remains legal in Hong Kong, where followers carry out frequent protests against Beijing's often-brutal crackdown on the group.

Thursday's incident marked only the second time Falun Gong followers were arrested here - both in demonstrations directly in front of the Chinese government office.

Both Falun Gong and the police claimed to have sustained minor injuries, but Falun Gong rejected a charge from police that one officer was bitten on the arms.

"They didn't bite," Xu said. "That's totally untrue."