Friday, March 22, 2002

Earlier this month, the UK government published its latest six-monthly report on Hong Kong for the period July-December 2001.

In the past months, the Hong Kong authority headed by its chief executive Mr. Tung has been bowing increasingly to the pressure from the Jiang regime in China and has taken a number of grave steps to suppress Falun Gong, including deportation, pulling down banners, violently arresting peaceful practitioners and charging them in court. These actions, while pleasing to the Jiang regime, undermines the values of a free society, the civil rights of its people, and the "One Country, Two Systems" principle.

The UK government report concluded that the future of One Country-Two Systems "will depend on how deeply the values of the Joint Declaration remain entrenched in the culture of the SAR Government and Hong Kong society. We will continue to watch closely, and to support Hong Kong in... upholding its people' rights and freedoms..."

The report made particular reference to the incident in November when "[Hong Kong] officials removed banners from protesters near the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government on the grounds that they had caused obstruction." The UK government document reported that, "The Hong Kong Journalists Association and the Article 19 Group (the Global Campaign for Freedom of Expression) published their ninth annual report on freedom of expression in Hong Kong in July...it highlighted a number of concerns, particularly in relation to the SAR Government's handling of Falun Gong". A US State Department report on Hong Kong which expressed particular concern over the SAR government's treatment of Falun Gong was also highlighted.

(From http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/3763.html)