August 16, 2002 Friday

The United States on Thursday responded to a Hong Kong court's convicting 16 Falun Gong followers of public obstruction by saying Hong Kong should preserve its civil liberties and free society.

'We continue to stress the importance of Hong Kong's preserving its civil liberties and free society, human rights and rule of law,' State Department deputy spokesman Philip Reeker said in a regular briefing. 'These are necessary components that make Hong Kong a distinctive international city,' he said.

They were tried for obstructing a public place outside Beijing's representative office during a protest in March.

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The defendants were fined by the court, with fines for each offense ranging from HK$300 (about $39) to HK$1,000.

Human rights activists have expressed fears that Beijing is exerting pressure on the territory to take action against the Falun Gong movement, which has been outlawed on mainland China but remains legal in Hong Kong.