Press Statement

August 2, 2001

Mr. Chan Yuk To, a Hong Kong permanent resident and also a Falun Gong practitioner, was arrested suddenly at his residence in Beijing in mid July. His whereabouts remain unknown as of today. He has become the second Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioner arrested and detained by Mainland authorities after Mr. Chu O-ming.

His mother, Ms. Lau Yuk Ling who is also a Falun Gong practitioner, pointed out that the last time she spoke to her son over the phone was on July 8. She called him numerous times thereafter and there was no answer. Not until July 17 did they receive a phone call from their relative in Beijing saying that their son had been arrested at home by Beijing police at 11 pm on July 12. No one knew where Mr. Chan was being kept at that time.

After much research and investigation by family and friends, some information seemed to indicate that Mr. Chan was being detained at the Balizhuang Detention Center of the Beijing Chaoyan District. Since his arrest, his parents and sister have been extremely worried. Mr. Chan's father already left Hong Kong for Beijing on July 28. But his request to visit his son was rejected by Beijing police. So, the safety and condition of their son remain unknown.

Mr. Chan was born in Beijing and grew up there. He graduated from the Civil Engineering Department of the College of Beijing Architecture and Engineering. He immigrated to Hong Kong in June 1991 and became a permanent resident in 1998. He started practicing Falun Gong in June 1999. Mr. Chan returned to Beijing to work and live in August 1999. He has been working in Beijing for almost two years.

Ms. Lau describes her son as a law-abiding citizen who has not committed any misdeeds. Particularly after he started practice Falun Gong, according to the mother, Mr. Chan held himself to even higher standards. Ms Lau believes that her son and millions of other Falun Gong practitioners in Mainland China are innocent victims of the tyranny of Jiang Zemin's regime. She says, "The Mainland authorities have adopted many brutal methods to torture Falun Gong practitioners. At least 258 people have died during the last two years of the crackdown, including the elderly, children, and the disabled. Many women have been raped and sexually abused. We don't know where our son is since his arrest. As his family, how can we not be worried? His life is being threatened every minute. We hope that the Hong Kong SAR government can step forward and fulfill her duty to ensure the safety of Hong Kong residents." Ms Lau urgently requests that the SAR government investigate the whereabouts of her son and return him home safely.

On August 2, Ms. Lau called on the Immigration Service for assistance and submitted a letter to Premier Zhu Rongji asking the relevant authorities to release her son.

The sudden arrest of Mr. Chan Yuk To makes him the second Hong Kong practitioner to be arrested and detained by Mainland authorities. Eleven months ago, Mr Chu O-ming together with another practitioner of Falun Gong were arrested for filing a lawsuit against Jiang Zemin and his followers with the People's Supreme Procuratorate through the mail. Mr. Chu followed proper legal procedures in launching the lawsuit but was arrested by police who broke into a private residence within ten days of mailing the document to the authorities. It was said that Mr. Chu was sentenced to a jail term secretly, and is now detained at a prison in Tianjin. Mr. Chu's family has never received any official notification pertaining to the trial or sentencing.

This incident again reveals that the human rights violations committed by the Chinese authorities against Falun Gong practitioners have already spread to overseas practitioners. It deserves close attention by the international community.

The rescue of detained Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners is an undeniable obligation of the Hong Kong SAR government. In order not to let Hong Kong develop into just another city of China under the brutal regime of Jiang Zemin, Hong Kong must safeguard the human rights and dignity that her residents are entitled to.

Chan Yuk To, male, born in 1967 in Beijing, is currently 34 years old. He received his primary and secondary education in Beijing. Mr. Chan graduated from the Civil Engineering Department of the College of Beijing Architecture and Engineering. He was then employed as a technician at a Beijing construction company. In June 1991, Mr. Chan immigrated to Hong Kong and engaged in jobs at construction sites. In 1998, he became a permanent resident. Mr. Chan started practicing Falun Gong in June 1999. Two months later in August, he returned to Beijing to live and work. On July 12, 2001, Mr. Chan was arrested at his residence late at night by Beijing police, and his whereabouts have remained unknown since. Some information seems to indicate that Mr. Chan is being detained at the Balizhuang Detention Center of Beijing Chaoyan District.

Mr. Chan's Residence in Beijing:

Room 102, Unit 4, 7th Building

Hong Miao Bei Li

Chaoyan District Beijing