Wall Street Journal: Two American Falun Gong Members Are Denied Entry Into Hong Kong (excerpt)

Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

May 7, 2001

HONG KONG -- Two American Falun Gong practitioners were detained at the airport and refused entry into Hong Kong, triggering criticism by the group that city authorities were harassing the movement to avoid demonstrations that would embarrass officials visiting from Beijing.

The two, who arrived Saturday evening from New York and were scheduled to fly back to the U.S. on Sunday, are among eight Falun Gong practitioners who live outside the city that the group says have been barred from Hong Kong since April 28. Chinese President Jiang Zemin is scheduled to speak Tuesday at the opening of the Fortune Global Forum in Hong Kong, and many other senior officials will be visiting the city this week.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, practices meditation and [...] exercises. It is legal in Hong Kong but banned and persecuted in the rest of China.

Kan Hung-cheung, a spokesman for the group in Hong Kong, accused city officials of maintaining a blacklist of Falun Gong members to prevent them from entering the city, adding that authorities are "especially nervous because Jiang Zemin is coming in Hong Kong."

Mr. Kan said the two detained over the weekend they told him that officials had cited "security reasons" for denying entry.

He said at least a dozen less well-known Falun Gong practitioners had entered Hong Kong in the past week without problems, which he cited as evidence that Hong Kong authorities were using a list containing the names of high-profile members.

Hong Kong's director of immigration, Ambrose Lee, denied that claim, telling local reporters, "We will not refuse entry to someone just because they are a Falun Gong member. Each case is evaluated purely on the basis of law and government policies." He wouldn't comment specifically on which laws or policies were behind the recent refusals.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa last month strongly criticized Falun Gong for planning demonstrations while Mr. Jiang would be in the city, [...].

Mr. Tung in January came under strong public pressure from Beijing to ban the group. However, Beijing's complaints have since fallen silent, and some observers believe a behind-the-scenes deal has been arranged, in which the group will remain legal in Hong Kong as long as visiting senior Chinese officials aren't embarrassed by public protests.

The detentions aren't the first of Falun Gong members trying to enter the city. Three practitioners were detained last June and at least 13 were detained in January this year when practitioners staged a major conference. [...]

Reuters: HK Plans to Deport Two U.S. Falun Gong Members-Group

May 6, 2001

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong plans to deport two American followers of the Falun Gong spiritual movement on Sunday after refusing them entry ahead of a visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin, a Hong Kong-based human rights group said. The Information Centre for Human Rights & Democracy in China said Li Xiaobin and Xu Zhenmei, both holding American passports, arrived in the territory on Saturday night, but Hong Kong immigration refused their entry for "security reasons."

"I have not done anything to endanger Hong Kong or the people of Hong Kong. Why the Hong Kong government does not allow me to come in?," Li told local Asia Television news by telephone from a restricted area of Chek Lap Kok airport.

Director of Immigration Lee Siu-kwong declined to comment on the incident but told reporters the government did not have a "black list" of overseas Falun Gong members, as has been alleged by the human rights group.

"We will not deny any entry because they are Falun Gong members. But we will handle each individual case in accordance to Hong Kong laws and procedures. We don't have a list on Falun Gong members," he said.

The human rights group has said the government probably received such a "black list" from Beijing ahead of Jiang's visit for the Fortune Global Forum conference that starts on Tuesday.

Jiang will deliver an opening keynote address to the conference, while former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will also attend the three-day event.

Li had previously been banned from entering Hong Kong, while Xu, a United Nations employee, had never had problems visiting Hong Kong, the Information Centre said.

"Unnecessary And Unacceptable"

Falun Gong practitioners in Hong Kong said that since the end of April five followers from Macau, Taiwan and Australia had been refused entry to Hong Kong. They said such measures by the government were "unnecessary and unacceptable."

"The special restrictions imposed by the government on Falun Gong practitioners entering into Hong Kong not only constitute discrimination against Falun Gong spiritual activities, they also damage the reputation of Hong Kong as a free and open city in the world," the group said in an open letter to the government.

Jiang's visit is expected to draw large protests from members of the Falun Gong movement, which is outlawed in mainland China but remains legal in Hong Kong.

Many political observers see the conference as the toughest test yet to Hong Kong's promised freedom since the former colony's handover from Britain to China in mid-1997.

China-anointed Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa has been under pressure from Beijing to curb the group, which has been labeled an "[Chinese government's slanderous term omitted]" by Chinese leaders.

Tung recently issued his sternest warning yet, [...].

Police have said they would allow peaceful demonstration as long as they were legal and did not pose a danger to others. But under security arrangements, protesters would be kept a few hundred meters (yards) away from the guests, ensuring any demonstration would be out of sight.

[...]