Letter to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong

26 May 2001

Mr. Tung Chee-hwa

Office of the Chief Executive

Hong Kong

Your Excellency,

I write today to follow up my letter of 12 February 2001. In that letter, I thanked you, as head of government, for the many fine memories I have of Hong Kong. In this letter, I write my concern that I will be unable to gather any more such.

Your administration is increasingly taking on the tone set by Beijing regarding Falun Gong. Reputable observers, locally and internationally, openly express grave concern that Hong Kong will see the integrity of its civic systems destroyed by this change. To reiterate from my earlier letter, relieving discomfort by interfering with the proper functioning of law is, as certain individuals abusing their powers in China have found, at best temporary relief and brings much greater self-inflicted misery with little delay.

Preparations made for Jiang Zemin's recent visit, for a business conference, only add weight to our concern. Immigration officers barred dozens of Falun Gong supporters, working openly from blacklists, citing unsubstantiatable "security concerns", and refusing deportees access to their embassies, to solicitors, or to why they were held. Peaceful actions to raise visibility on concerns by Falun Gong members were rather more successful than expected: media sought them out, despite distance and awkward access, to hear more. Countless others have asked why Jiang so fears those he is supposed to govern, that he will cut short his visit again simply to avoid a few dozen citizens with legitimate concerns. They reach their own conclusions on all this, which reflect poorly on both China's government and yours, and their executives.

I mentioned in my earlier letter how I participated in the January Conference event and parade. I considered returning for Jiang Zemin's visit, but decided against it, as I am needed here by clients and family. It would have been interesting, in a way, to have discovered whether I am on that blacklist. I, like other practitioners of Falun Gong, are peaceful, insistent that constitutional law be fairly applied, and continue to abide by just laws, despite unpardonable provocation in mainland China up to and including state-ordered torture, murder, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

I sorrow that you allow pressures from Beijing to urge on dismantling freedoms and civic trust which makes Hong Kong great. I have long since ceased to consider business with and travel within mainland China. I regretfully make the same decision now regarding Hong Kong.

Anticipating the joyous day when you ensure Hong Kong's earlier foundation and glory of respected freedoms,

(name omitted by ClearWisdom)

businessman, US citizen, Falun Gong practitioner