September 12, 2002
A counter-intelligence agent from Taiwan's Bureau of Investigation has been sacked after leaking information about the Falun Gong meditation [practice] to China, according to the Ministry of Justice.
The agent, Li Kai-ping, is believed to have e-mailed information about Falun Gong membership in China, and the movement's development in Taiwan, to a China -based friend of a senior Taiwanese government official. The China-based friend, also Taiwanese, is believed to have approached the official after asking Li to get the information as a favour, according to a China Times report.
Li was first suspected in March this year. Since then investigations have been conducted. He was sacked on Tuesday but is still under investigation, said a Justice Ministry official. Li could face charges of leaking state secrets, the official said.
Taiwan newspaper reports have quoted the Minister for Justice, Chen Ding-nan, as saying Li's alleged actions can be described as treason.
Hong Ji-hong, a spokesman for Falun Gong in Taiwan, said the Chinese government could be trying to get the names of Taiwan-based followers to prevent them from trying to travel to China.
He said: "They might be collecting our names so they can stop us getting visas. If they have our names they can stop us getting into Hong Kong."
Mr Hong himself travelled to Hong Kong for a Falun Gong conference last year, but has since been unable to get back into the territory.
Falun Gong is legal in Taiwan, but banned in China. The [group] says up to 1,600 followers have been killed in China in a government crackdown. [..]
September 12, 2002
* * *
You are welcome to print and circulate all articles published on Clearharmony and their content, but please quote the source.
more ...