Sun, 14 Jan 2001 04:57:45

HONG KONG (AP) The Falun Gong meditation [group], outlawed in mainland China and subjected to an often-violent crackdown there, held a conference here Sunday with followers lashing out at Beijing's suppression and demanding the right to practice freely.

"There's no human rights in China because you cannot even say a word about Falun Gong in Tiananmen Square," practitioner Fiona Ching said as the group spread its message in the one part of the nation where speech remains free inside Hong Kong.

Beijing authorities round up and often beat Falun Gong practitioners on the mainland, but the [group] remains legal in Hong Kong.

About 900 Falun Gong adherents turned out for Sunday's well-publicized gathering, which has drawn sharp criticism from pro-Beijing forces, furious at the idea that the [] can attack Chinese policies right on Chinese soil.

Falun Gong said the presence of 700 overseas followers from 23 countries showed that the movement born in mainland China has become a worldwide phenomenon with many millions of adherents.

Hong Kong barred 13 practitioners from entering the territory but said late Saturday they had failed to meet visa requirements and were not being kept away because of their Falun Gong affiliation.

"Even though there's some pressure, I'm happy that the conference can be held smoothly here," said Ching, a local clerk who read from a book by Falun Gong master Li Hongzhi on her way to the venue.

A life-sized drawing of Li, seated in a Buddhist meditation pose, was the central backdrop on a stage where Falun Gong members said they would spend the day discussing personal experiences.

Hong Kong practitioner Hui Kwok-hong opened the conference by applauding the territory for letting the [group] rent space in City Hall.

"We sincerely thank the government officials for giving us their special support," Hui said, although there has been no indication that Falun Gong has been treated any differently from any other activist group in Hong Kong.

Amid sharp criticisms from local pro-Beijing newspapers, Hong Kong officials have said they rented the concert hall to Falun Gong because any locally registered organization is allowed to use the space for legal activities.

The English-language Sunday Morning Post editorialized that the event was excellent publicity for Hong Kong, showing "that freedom of religion and assembly remains intact."

On Saturday, Falun Gong members protested around Hong Kong.

They gathered in a park in the morning to practice their slow, rhythmic exercises to the mellow sounds of recorded Chinese music. They later marched on the local mainland Chinese government liaison office and placed petitions on the sidewalk, addressed to Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and other mainland authorities.

Falun Gong says 120 practitioners have been the victims of torture-killings at the hands of mainland police - an allegation impossible to verify although the Chinese authorities have often been seen beating followers.

Falun Gong insists it has no political motives, but Beijing has been alarmed by the group's ability to organize huge demonstrations.

"I do not get involved in politics, but when people see a mass of people, they see it as a threat," said Sterling Campbell, a follower from New York.