FDI: Canadian Author Barred from Hong Kong

TAIPEI (FDI) -- While on tour promoting his book on Falun Gong appeals in Tiananmen Square, a Canadian citizen was barred from Hong Kong.

Zenon Dolnyckyj was prevented from boarding China Airlines flight 619 en route to Hong Kong, the next stop on his book tour, Wednesday evening. Hong Kong Immigration sent an "urgent fax" to the Taiwanese carrier "to advise that the abovenamed person should not be carried to Hong Kong unless his travel document bears a valid visa for Hong Kong issued by the Hong Kong Immigration Department."

Dolnyckyj is identified by name, date of birth, and passport number in the fax, which was signed by K. K. Yip and sent to the duty manager of China Airlines at the Hong Kong airport. Dolnyckyj was stopped at the gate in Taipei after checking in and clearing customs.

Canadian citizens are normally permitted in Hong Kong for 90 days without a visa, according to the Hong Kong Immigration website.

Dolnyckyj is on tour promoting his new book Coming for You. The book is the Chinese-language account of his November 2001 journey to Beijing's Tiananmen Square to participate in a public appeal on behalf of Falun Gong.

In that appeal, 36 Western practitioners of Falun Gong from 12 countries sat in meditation or held a banner with the Chinese and English words "Truth-Compassion-Tolerance." Their detention and deportation made news worldwide.

The book title Coming for You alludes to the intent by the 36 Westerners to show Chinese people the international spread of Falun Gong and its peaceful, healthful character, in contrast to Beijing's official line on the popular practice.

Dolnyckyj, 26, had previously traveled to Hong Kong without incident, including in December 2001 after the appeal in Tiananmen. He owns an office-cleaning business in Toronto.

He said, "Chinese people remember Dr. Norman Bethune and know that Canadians care about Chinese people. Well, this Canadian also cares about Chinese people's lives. When we went to Tiananmen Square, we did it to help the Chinese people, and I wrote this book to help Chinese people. Falun Gong practitioners care about the Chinese people."

For more information:
Taipei: Hong Ji-Hong, 886-2-2717-3643
Hong Kong: Sophie Xiao, [phone]
Toronto: Joel Chipkar, [phone]
Falun Dafa InfoCenter: Levi Browde, [phone]

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NEWS - Feb. 17, 2004
Falun Dafa Information Center, www.faluninfo.net

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Background

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (about), is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." Practiced in over 50 countries world-wide, Falun Gong has roots in traditional Chinese culture. With government estimates of as many as 100 million practicing Falun Gong, China's Communist leader Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999 (report). Since that time, Jiang's regime has intensified its propaganda campaign to turn public opinion against the practice while imprisoning, torturing and even murdering those who practice it. The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 886 deaths (reports / sources) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. In October 2001, however, Government officials inside China reported that the actual death toll was well over 1,600. Expert sources now estimate that figure to be much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000 being sentenced to forced labor camps, typically without trial.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE FALUN DAFA INFORMATION CENTER
Contacts: Gail Rachlin ([phone]), Levi Browde ([phone]), Erping Zhang ([phone]), or Feng Yuan ([phone]).
Fax: [phone] Email: , Website: http://www.faluninfo.net/