Reuters: HK Falun Gong Members in 3rd Day of Hunger Strike

August 26, 2001

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Ten members of the controversial Falun Gong spiritual movement in Hong Kong began the third day of a hunger strike on Monday to protest against the imprisonment of followers in China. The 10 were briefly detained on Saturday for obstructing the entrance to Beijing's representative Liaison Office in the territory, the first time [local] members of the movement have been arrested in Hong Kong.

Academics and human rights activists differed over whether the arrests signaled the government was taking a tougher line against the group, which has been banned on mainland China but is legal in Hong Kong.

The protesters, who are not eating but drinking water in the sweltering heat, have vowed to carry on indefinitely. Other members have joined them from time to time in the last few days.

On Monday, 11 followers sat quietly in front of the Liaison Office building, wearing their trademark yellow T-shirts and sitting quietly in the lotus position as people scuttled to work.

"We have a few more members joining us this morning and if a few of the existing ones are tired, there would be others who would take over, keeping the number of protesters to 10 at the minimum at any one time,'' said Zhou Sheng, one of the hunger strikes.

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Hong Kong police said they arrested the 10 protesters on Saturday after receiving several complaints, including one from the building management of the Liaison Office, that they were obstructing traffic.

Falun Gong followers in Hong Kong have repeatedly irked China with high-profile protests this year against the mainland crackdown, and pro-Beijing politicians in the territory are increasingly pushing for an anti-sedition law to curb the group.

Police spokesmen said the protesters had been dealt with in the same manner as anyone else. Hui said the arrests were unreasonable as the hunger strikers occupied only a small space on the sidewalk.

She said she hoped the Hong Kong government was not being swayed by pressure from Beijing.

Hong Kong was promised a high degree of autonomy when the former British colony reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.

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The group says more than 50,000 practitioners have been thrown into prisons, labor camps and mental hospitals around China where they are mentally and physically abused.

Human rights groups estimate more than 200 members have died from abuse while in detention.

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/nm/20010826/wl/religion_hongkong_falun_dc_7.html