(Clearwisdom.net)

Hong Kong, August 6, 2002 -- Falun Gong is a peaceful mind and body practice that follows the universal principle of Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance. It is an individual self-improvement practice that has no dealings with political struggle. Falun Gong is practiced freely in fifty countries worldwide, but in 1999 it was banned in its birth-land, China, when President Jiang Zemin portrayed its popularity as a threat to his rule.

In a response to the escalating assault on innocent people, including the President's orders to "shoot to kill" Falun Gong practitioners, many practitioners have held appeals in China and overseas. On their own initiative, four Swiss practitioners whose Mainland visas were cancelled chose to spend their own time and money to appeal close to China, in Hong Kong.

On March 14, 2002, the four Swiss who were later joined by twelve locals, began a quiet, three-day sit-in and hunger strike in front of the P.R.C.'s Liaison Office. Video and still-shot footages clearly show that the practitioners appealed peacefully, posed no threat, and left plenty of room for pedestrian traffic.

Shortly after the appeal began, however, a Liaison Office official made five phone calls to the Western Station Police in order to stop the appeal. The police responded to the pressure by barricading the area around the practitioners, causing a complete obstruction of the pavement, which pushed pedestrian traffic into the street. A few hours later, dozens of policemen began dragging the practitioners into police vans, using excessive force as they strangled the practitioners and applied pressure to sensitive acupuncture points, injuring nine practitioners.

Under the climate of growing pressure from Jiang's regime, the police took the practitioners to court and charged them with obstructing the pavement and assaulting police. Evidence provided in the trial revealed that while the practitioners obstructed no one, the police obstructed the entire pavement and engaged in an unlawful and violent arrest. During the trial, the prosecutor could not produce a single third party witness. Meanwhile, he asked questions that were irrelevant to the case, and the judge, who was accused of being biased and was asked to step down, allowed the prosecutor to continue.

Actually, the arrest and trial of the appealers should never have happened - it is a violation of both Hong Kong's law and international law. Furthermore, it is a breach of the freedom of expression and assembly that Hong Kong residents and visitors enjoy, and it is a challenge to the free world's justice systems. It is a product of the pressure that Jiang Zemin's regime is applying on governments and law enforcement around the world in his attempt to frame up and smear Falun Gong's reputation in order to justify his persecution, and stop overseas appeals for justice. Moreover, it reveals Jiang Zemin's disregard for international law.

In spite of the pressure, we will continue our appeals until the end. The universal principle of Truthfulness-Benevolence-Forbearance bears hope for all people. No amount of hatred could ever crush a compassionate heart, and no propaganda could forever hide the truth. The world's people are awakening and standing up. Together, we will end this persecution.