Sweden: Support from the Foreign Ministry and the Second Largest Political Party over the Trial in Hong Kong

Thank you for your e-mail of 8th August regarding current issues affecting practitioners of Falun Gong. The e-mail has been received by the Unit for Asia and Oceania at the Department of Foreign Affairs. As you know the Swedish government views very seriously the treatment to which practitioners of Falun Gong have been subjected in the People’s Republic of China. We have repeatedly expressed this, in official statements, in meetings with representatives of the Chinese government, and in our meetings and conversations with practitioners of Falun Gong here in Sweden. We have also carefully followed the trial which is now in progress in Hong Kong and to which you refer in your e-mail. Sweden, as well as the E.U. in general, has again and again explained to the authorities in Hong Kong that we expect the provisions of Hong Kong’s self-government, including the upholding of the right of assembly and association, to be observed in accordance with the provisions of Hong Kongs’s incorporation into the People’s Republic of China.

The freedom for everybody to hold personal opinions and beliefs, to express their opinions, to peacefully meet and to peacefully be part of associations, are all basic human rights which should naturally be observed to the same extent in all countries.

Kind regards,

Department of Foreign Affairs
14/8, 2002

Dear A.

Thank you for your e-mail about Falun Gong and human rights in Hong Kong; [The Chairman of the second largest party] has asked me to reply to it.

First and foremost I would like to express appreciation for your involvement in issues regarding human rights and democracy. There rests a great deal of responsibility on the Chinese government to guarantee that the freedom and rights of the people of Hong Kong are not violated. It is also important that we, in the Western World, are clear in our criticism of the encroachments of human rights which are taking place in China. Naturally, we support your right to make peaceful appeals.

With kind regards

Official in charge of issues regarding fundamental law and democracy (9/8, 2002)

Following is Anne’s letter

On March 14, 2002, four Swiss and twelve Hong Kong citizens were forcefully arrested after staging a peaceful appeal outside the Chinese Liaison Office to raise awareness of China's persecution of Falun Gong. Since that time, a Hong Kong court has been carried out against these peaceful appealers.

The police action on that day showed several signs of influence from Jiang Zemin and his campaign to eradicate Falun Gong in Mainland China. What is more disturbing, the court proceedings and statements of the presiding magistrate also reveal clear signs of bias against the peaceful appealers, betraying Hong Kong's rule of law and democratic process. For more information, please see:

http://www.faluninfo.net/focus/hongkong.asp

Earlier this year, the Chinese regime had countries such as Iceland, Germany and Lithuania to break international laws, in order to avoid having Falun Gong-practitioners staging peaceful appeals during president Jiang Zemins visits there.

Questions:

Are democratic rights and freedom of speech in Hong Kong endangered?

What do you think about that the Chinese regime managed to have democratic countries in the West to break international laws concerning freedom of speech and peaceful appeals?