(Clearwisdom.net) A German radio station said in its report on August 14, 2002 about the Hong Kong trial: the incident originated as a protest activity held in front of the Chinese Liaison Office in March. The judge found the 16 accused guilty; however, the punishment for the accusations was relative light -- fines varying from 40 to 125 Euros.

In the report, the chief magistrate Simon Wang claimed that the conviction had nothing to do with their practice of Falun Gong but that they disrupted public order. However, the Falun Gong spokesperson, Ms. Xu, expressed indignantly: "We are shocked by the verdict. The judge presided over the case with prejudice throughout the trial. He disregarded key evidence. In fact, he didn't have any evidence at all (to back up his verdict)."

The report said that in Hong Kong, which is home to 7 million people, about 500 Falun Gong practitioners are still able to practice Falun Gong so far without interference. Since Falun Gong was banned in Mainland China, they often organize protest activities against (Jiang's) government in Beijing. Although Hong Kong as a special administrative region continues with its autonomy, the local government seems to be bending more and more to pressure from Beijing. Today's verdict, according to Ms. Xu, is so far a most obvious message that the freedom once promised to Hong Kong has become more and more something that exists in name only.

Xu said: "The verdict not only damages the Basic Law but also undermines the concept of protection by law that we have been proud of. It extends the Jiang regime's persecution to Hong Kong. The ruler of China has imposed on our law and law enforcement."

It was reported that the latest situation indicates what Xu said is correct. Since Hong Kong's Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa started calling Falun Gong a (slanderous word omitted), various pieces of evidence have reflected the tendency towards a ban. Falun Gong has been unable to obtain permits to hold activities in front of public buildings. Observers worry that the government is preparing to enact a severe anti-subversion law in order to lay a legal foundation for ridding themselves of all those who are not welcomed and who criticize Beijing.

Ms. Xu considers her side to be legal: "Falun Gong in Hong Kong will continue to appeal for hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in mainland China, since as long as the persecution continues they will not have the freedom to speak out for themselves. We have been abiding by the law in our activities and informing the police in advance. Therefore, we are very disappointed by the results of this trial. It is a dark day in Hong Kong's history."

Xu announced that they were going to appeal the verdict.