Trial Opens for Falsely Charged Falun Gong Practitioners

Reported by Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners on June 17, 2002.

Under the pressure from the Jiang’s regime, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government prosecuted Falun Gong practitioners who peacefully appealed outside the Chinese Liaison Office on March 14, 2002, with the charges of “Public obstruction” and “Obstructing and assaulting the police.” The case is brought to court today. Sixteen accused Falun Gong practitioners resolutely deny the false charges made against them and will clarify the truth in court. The practitioners believed that justice will be upheld, and hope that the court will give a fair and just verdict and return the innocent reputation to the victims.

In the morning, the sixteen practitioners dressed neatly and calmly entered the court. Delegates from the Swiss Consulate, some local practitioners and five Western practitioners who came from Switzerland attended the court trial. There were also many reporters, since this trial has raised the international concerns, and also a big test to Hong Kong’s “One country, two systems” formula. The sixteen practitioners stopped for a while before entering the court. They were smilingly facing the reporters, while holding a banner that reads “Falun Dafa is good.”

The trial went on slowly, as it involved three different languages. The court conducted in English first, and then simultaneously translated into Cantonese and Mandarin and German. This shows that the Jiang regime’s suppression of Falun Gong is not only a Chinese issue, but also an issue that has raised international concerns.

This political persecution raised concerns from governments of free countries around the world and from NGOs. The Swiss government has expressed to send delegates to observe in court. Four Swiss Congressmen and four State Congressmen from Geneva and some international human rights organizations, including International Society for Human Rights—Swiss Section and ACAT-Switzerland, have written to the Hong Kong SAR Government to urge it to drop the charges against the 16 innocent practitioners.

Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners pointed out: the Jiang regime not only relentlessly persecutes Falun Gong in China, it also exerts huge pressure on different countries in its usual threatening means, to extend its violent persecution of Falun Gong to overseas, as has happened in recent Jiang’s visit to Iceland, where Falun Gong practitioners were denied entry into the country; Jiang once demanded to forbid people to wear bright yellow clothes during his visit to Germany; Jiang also demanded the Indonesia government to stop Falun Gong practitioners’ parade that had obtained police’ license. This unreasonable arrest and prosecution against Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners who peacefully appeal is another case that the Jiang’s regime manipulates the police and governments outside Mainland to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.

In accordance with Hong Kong’s basic law, Falun Gong practitioners, like other Hong Kong citizens, enjoy the freedom of speech, assembly and beliefs, and are free from unlawful infringement. The sixteen practitioners peacefully appealed outside the Chinese Liaison Office to request the Chinese government to stop its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Their actions were peaceful, rational, solemn and orderly, and they were justifiable, reasonable and legal. However, the Hong Kong authorities forcefully arrested them and framed up charges to prosecute them. This is apparently originated from the pressure of the Mainland authorities or their agents, but not based on the facts or legal evidence. Such actions have seriously violated the human rights and dignity of peacefully appealing citizens.

The 16 accused Falun Gong practitioners are Swiss practitioners Erich Bachmann, Roland Isenschmid, LAM Duy Quoc, Simone Claudia Schlegel-Gurnefelder, and Hong Kong residents CHEE Fei-ming, CHAU Sing, LAM Chi-for, Jenny Lee, LAU Wai-hing, LAU Yuk-ling, LU Jie, TSANG Hau-sim, TSE Lai-sim, TSO Chi-sin, WONG Yiu-hing, YEUNG Mei-wan. On March 14, 2002, when they were holding a small-scale peaceful appeal on the wide sidewalk outside the front gate of the Chinese Liaison Office, in protest of the Jiang regime’s brutal persecution of Mainland Falun Gong practitioners and appealed for urgent rescue, they were forcefully removed by Hong Kong police, using the excuse of “public obstruction.” Later, 16 practitioners were charged with public obstruction, nine with obstructing the police in carrying out their duties, and three with assaulting police officers. Then, the charge of obstructing the police was added on to nine practitioners instead of the original three.

It is estimated that the trial will need eleven working days. The judge repeatedly told the 16 practitioners that he guaranteed that they would understand the whole process of the trial and their rights would be protected.

Falun Gong practitioners call for all countries, NGOs and kind-hearted people who support peace and justice to pay attention to the development of the trial and assist the Hong Kong SAR Government to correct its mistakes, to restore justice, and to repair the damage that has been done.

Chinese version is available at http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2002/6/19/32020.html