HONG KONG, Feb 2, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Rights groups Friday urged Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa to show his hand and guarantee basic freedoms in Hong Kong amid fears he could move to ban the Falun Gong [group].

The US-based Human Rights Watch voiced concern at intensified pressure from Beijing for action to be taken to curb the spiritual movement's activities in Hong Kong or even follow China and ban it all together.

"Falun Gong is legally registered under the Societies Ordinance in Hong Kong, has broken no laws, and has done nothing that could remotely be considered a public disturbance," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

"That Beijing could even think of pressing Hong Kong to move against the group is ominous." said Sidney Jones, Asia director of Human Rights Watch in New York.

"This kind of statement should have prompted an immediate rejoinder from C.H.Tung and yet all we've heard is deafening silence."

[...]

The pressure on Hong Kong -- which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 -- comes as Beijing has stepped up a propaganda assault against the group which it banned in July 1999 as an [slanderous word].

Mainland newspapers and televisions were flooded this week with images of five alleged Falun Gong members setting themselves alight on Tiananmen Square.

The Falun Gong, [...], has denied they were [group] members.

"We will never know the truth of this incident until an independent, third party investigation is carried out by international press and human rights groups," said a statement from the Falundafa Information Center on Friday.

"Until then the public is at the mercy of the fabrications of the Chinese regime."

Local media have reported that Tung has come under pressure "through various channels" to consider implementing proposed anti-subversion laws to target the Falun Gong.

But he has not commented on the issue or on the calls from local pro-China businessmen and politicians for the group to lose its registered status in Hong Kong, which would effectively outlaw it here.

Local legislators urged Tung to speak out on the matter when he attends next week's Legislative Council question time.

Tung should "take a stand," said Jan Van der Made a local spokesman for the Human Rights Watch.

He should "say freedom of assembly is guaranteed in Hong Kong ... and that those that exercise their rights of assembly should not be subject to pressure from Beijing," Van der Made added.