(Clearwisdom.net) On July 18, several hundred Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners marched to Chinese Liaison office and then to Hong Kong SAR government office to protest the persecution of Falun Gong in China since July 1999. Below is a report of RFA reported by Shan Shi on the same day:
The parade started noontime on Sunday (July 18). About 250 Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners first gathered at Wanchai and then marched to the SAR government office compound. AP said that the parade was peaceful with no conflicts.
Before starting the parade, practitioners held a press conference. One spokesman said that the persecution has no legal base and he demanded China stop the persecution of Falun Gong. Another spokeswoman Ms. Chen recounted her father's plight. Her farther went to China for sightseeing and was arrested by police and forced to sign a statement claiming guilt. She requested the Chinese authority to release her farther.
Hong Kong Falun Gong spokesman Kan Hung-cheung said that China started to persecute Falun Gong in July of 1999 and they choose this date to stage the parade to protest the persecution.
Kan said that Falun Gong was introduced to Hong Kong in 1994 and had about 1,000 practitioners at its peak time. However, the number declined a little after the persecution started. He said that Falun Gong practitioners could still freely practice and hold activities in Hong Kong.
Kan said that he is concerned about Hong Kong Falun Gong practitioners being harassed by gangsters though such incidents haven't happened.
Mr. Kan said that Falun Gong activities in Hong Kong have encountered many interferences because of the pressure from the Chinese government. In the past several years, it happened many times that overseas Falun Gong practitioners were barred from entering Hong Kong and such pressure is becoming larger and larger.
