HONG KONG -- Followers of the Falun Gong spiritual movement vowed today to proceed with plans for a conference later this month in Hong Kong despite Beijing's latest warning to the group.

"I am sure they [Beijing] intend to threaten us but we won't be affected by these attacks," said Kan Hung-cheung, a spokesman for the Hong Kong Falun Gong.

In an article published by the official New China News Agency yesterday, Kan was criticized for organizing protests during the celebrations of the anniversary of Macau's handover to China in late December.

Calling Kan "a core member of []," the article said he encouraged 30 other members of the movement to gather in Macau on Dec. 19. They were all denied entry by authorities in Macau.

China began its crackdown on Falun Gong, which combines meditation and breathing exercises with a doctrine loosely rooted in Buddhist and Taoist teachings, in July 1999. Practitioners have said some 50,000 followers have been detained and many sent to labor camps without a trial.