August 26, 2002 Monday

A human rights campaigner criticized a senior Hong Kong official Tuesday for trying to ban a catalog featuring the artwork of a Falun Gong practitioner - as well as a Falun Gong message - from an exhibit on public property.

"We believe the interference is arbitrary and politically motivated," said Law Yuk-kai, director of the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor, a non-governmental organization. "It's ridiculous."

Law met with Secretary for Home Affairs Ho Chi-ping on Monday to find out why the government asked organizers of the art exhibit, which ran Friday through Monday, to remove copies of the catalog.

The catalog featured works by Zhang Cuiying, an Australian who was barred from entering Hong Kong last week to open the exhibit of her work, where she also planned to make an appeal against mainland China's suppression of Falun Gong.

Law said Ho sidestepped his questions and failed to explain what was wrong with the catalog, "The Golden Brush," which also includes Falun Gong information and a message from Zhang criticizing Beijing's efforts to eradicate the meditation [group] in mainland China.

The exhibition was organized by a U.S. publishing company, Epoch Group Ltd., which said it is not affiliated with Falun Gong.

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