LONDON, December 21, 2002 (Falun Dafa Information Centre) -- Pressured by Jiang Zemin's authoritarian regime in Beijing, the SAR government has hastily published a Consultation Document prior to the enactment of a proposed “Article 23”, an anti-subversion law.
Under the pretence of safeguarding "national security," the Government is clearly targeting certain groups and aggressively attacking Hong Kong's fundamental rights and freedoms.
"National Security" and "State Secrets" - Targeting Peaceful Dissenters
The definitions of "national security" and "state secrets" are key elements in any anti-subversion laws. The SAR Government is apparently prepared to fully accept the Mainland's worryingly vague definitions of these terms, as well as the overly harsh punishments for those found guilty of such offences.
It is also important to remember that the Beijing Government, under the pretence of safeguarding national security or state secrets, round up peaceful dissidents, and proscribed groups driven underground merely because they are deemed threatening to the CCP's hegemony. Examples are as follows;
· Mr. Chu O-ming, a permanent resident of Hong Kong, and Falun Gong practitioner, was arrested seven days after he followed legal procedures to file a complaint against Jiang Zemin and two other Chinese leaders with the Supreme People's Procuratorate in August 2000. He was handed a five-year jail sentence and received severe mental and physical torture.
· Dr. Teng Chunyan, a doctor practising in the United States, was sent to a labour camp for three years for disclosing to overseas media that Falun Gong practitioners were wrongfully incarcerated in mental hospitals where many are tortured.
As legal experts have pointed out, the current laws of Hong Kong already cover the offences listed in Article 23, and it is therefore not necessary to introduce a new law. Even though some of the clauses are not specifically listed in the Common Law, the existing laws are enough to address those issues.
There is one clause in particular that gives cause for concern about Falun Gong's future in Hong Kong. The Secretary for Security would have the power to ban groups in Hong Kong should their organisation in the Mainland be proscribed on the grounds of "national security."
Stand up to stop Tyranny from Seeping into Hong Kong
We deeply feel that the SAR government and the people of Hong Kong should not be victimised by the tyranny of Jiang Zemin; they should not have to live in terror. We strongly oppose any measures through which "national interest" or "security" may be used as pretence to attack innocent people.
Let us all speak out to stop tyranny from surreptitiously seeping into Hong Kong. Let us fulfil our responsibility to future generations and defend the basic human rights and civil liberties currently enjoyed by Hong Kong residents.
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance."
The Falun Dafa Information Centre has verified details of 531 deaths (reports sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. Government officials inside China, however, report that the actual death toll is well over 1,600, while expert sources estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labour camps, typically without trial.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTRE
English Contact: Peter Jauhal 44 (0) 7739 172 452.
More contacts: http://www.falungonginfo.net/europe.htm
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.clearharmony.net/
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