(Clearwisdom.net) Shortly before the 10th Anniversary of Hong Kong's being returned to China, a group of Falun Gong practitioners were refused entry to Hong Kong and deported. Among them was attorney Chu Wanqi, Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Foundation Asia. The Hong Kong Immigration Office couldn't give an explanation for the deportations. The Taiwan Falun Dafa Association held a press conference on June 27, 2007, to vehemently protest Hong Kong's action.
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Attorney Chu said she successfully entered Hong Kong on June 19, 2007. Only a few days later, when she traveled to Hong Kong on June 24 with a valid visa, she was lead into a separate room by an immigration officer, who told her that her presence in Hong Kong would not be in Hong Kong's best interests and that "upper levels" had decided not to allow her to enter.
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Chu also publicized an internal email from an airline company, revealing that Hong Kong Immigration had received a "Black List" and then told Taiwan airline companies to help keep Falun Gong practitioners from flying to Hong Kong for the July holiday.
A the translation of an excerpt of the email:
"At 5 p.m. today (June 25, 2007), Director of Airport Control Chen Meng Ling from the Hong Kong Customs and Immigration Department called our company and gave instructions concerning emergency action to keep Falun Gong practitioners from entering Hong Kong.
"On July 1, 2007, Hong Kong will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of is return to China. Falun Gong are not welcomed travelers so airline companies from Taiwan must comply with the following regulations:
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From June 26 to July 1, the restriction applies to all flights from Taipei, Kaoshiung, and Taichung to Hong Kong.
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Everyday at 5 p.m., a Hong Kong Customs and Immigration Office agent will come to our company to retrieve a list of all passengers flying to Hong Kong the following day. An employee in our department has agreed to provide the passengers' names.
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Hong Kong will check the list of names. If they find a targeted person, they will check with the seating department again and also fax a rejection letter to us. Then our department will notify the specific Taiwan airport to stop the passenger.
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When the flight leaves Taiwan, a Hong Kong agent will come to get the list of on-board passengers.
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The targeted travelers will be refused entry to Hong Kong, so our airline has been asked to give high priority for seats to deport them back to Taiwan."
Attorney Chu said the email shows not only that Hong Kong has a black list but also that it is asking airline companies to cooperate with it. On the 10th Anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, when China is claiming that its relationship with Hong Kong is "One Country Two Systems" and "Highly Autonomous," it is actually attempting to deprive the Falun Gong practitioners' of their legal right to obtain a visa, board an airplane, and enter Hong Kong. She called on the Taiwan Government and world public figures to protest to the government of Hong Kong.
According to a survey by the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association, up until June 27, 40 Falun Gong practitioners had been refused entry into Hong Kong, and 246 practitioners were refused a visa to Hong Kong.
The Cabinet of the Mainland Committee of Taiwan, which is in charge of relations with China, issued a statement on June 25, calling on the Hong Kong government to stop unfriendly actions that disrespect human rights. If Hong Kong doesn't improve immediately, it is showing the world how Hong Kong has resorted to self-restrictions, and it will have a very negative affect on Hong Kong's image as a free society.
The Committee emphasized that Falun Gong is a legal organization in Hong Kong and that attorney Chu Wanqi has a valid visa from the Hong Kong government. Yet she was refused entry to Hong Kong and was treated rudely at Hong Kong Customs. How could such a violation of human rights happen in Hong Kong, which always claims it is ruled by law?
The Committee also said that this will affect the exchange between Taiwan and Hong Kong. It expressed concern that the Hong Kong government handle this issue properly so as not to harm the exchange between Taiwan and Hong Kong and not destroy Hong Kong's image as a free society. The Committee also wants the Hong Kong government to protect Taiwan travelers so that they can legally enter and leave Hong Kong and be assured of their safety and rights while in Hong Kong.
The Taiwan Falun Dafa Association then issued a three-point statement. It protested Hong Kong's forced deportation of a human rights lawyer and Falun Gong practitioners, an act that infringes on the rights of the people of Taiwan. It denounced the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party's black list that makes a mockery of Hong Kong's "One Country Two Systems" policy and its judicial independence. It called for Hu Jintai to stop the persecution of Falun Gong immediately and bring Jiang Zemin to justice.
The statement from the Taiwan Falun Dafa Association also called on the international community to be aware of how China is pressuring Hong Kong to abandon the "One Country Two Systems" policy and move toward being an accomplice of the Chinese Communist Party in violating human rights.
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