SECTION: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
DISTRIBUTION: Asia; England; Europe; Britian; Scandinavia
BY: MIN LEE; Associated Press Writer
HONG KONG --Shedding their yellow protest shirts for sequin-laced evening gowns, [practitioners] of Falun Gong are taking to the stage for a variety show aimed at polishing their public image.
Banned […] in mainland China and just tolerated in Hong Kong, Falun Gong says its performances are also designed to showcase practitioners' talents and preach the group's message.
"The performance carries special significance in Hong Kong. It's not like in the West where people commonly sympathize with and accept Falun Gong," said Kan Hung-cheung, a spokesman for the group. "We need to show the public that Falun Dafa is beautiful and good for mankind," Kan said, referring to the group's beliefs.
Since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule five years ago, residents of this former British colony have retained many Western-style liberties denied to mainland citizens. Those freedoms allow Falun Gong [practitioners] to practice and protest here - but not without limits.
Earlier this year, 16 Falun Gong followers were convicted on obstruction charges for protesting outside a Chinese government office.
Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa has echoed Beijing's disapproval, […]
But the group is still allowed to hold public events. In addition to performances Thursday and Friday evening, [practitioners] plan several demonstrations over the weekend, with police permission.
Hoping to improve mixed perceptions about the group, Falun Gong followers traded their usual protest garb of bright yellow T-shirts Thursday night for elegant evening gowns.
Top government officials were invited, but declined to attend, Kan said.
Against a light blue backdrop, a woman belted out in operatic fashion a song about an illiterate person who learned how to read after becoming a Falun Gong adherent.
The evening was an international affair - devotees from Taiwan, Japan, the United States, Germany and France also performed.
The performances aren't intended as mere entertainment. Some numbers criticize the mainland's crackdown on the group, which Falun Gong [practitioners] claim has killed more than 500 people. Chinese authorities have detained thousands of Falun Gong followers, releasing most after a few weeks, […]
[…]
Falun Gong hosted a high-profile global conference in City Hall last January, much to the chagrin of pro-Beijing figures. This time, the group was told that downtown facilities were all full.
Phylomena Fung, a spokeswoman for the Culture and Leisure Services Department, said that Falun Gong's applications to use public facilities were treated no differently than those of other groups.
Falun Gong had several million followers in China when Beijing banned […]. Several hundred are thought to remain active in Hong Kong.
Members contend that their practice of meditation exercises and their unique philosophy, […], promotes good health and morality.
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