By Bryan Lee

MEMBERS of a United Nations rights committee were said yesterday to have expressed concern at Hong Kong's treatment of the Falun Gong and to have taken "very seriously" the right of abode issue.

Their views were related by members of a Hong Kong delegation who attended a meeting of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Geneva.

Returning to Hong Kong last night, Frontier Legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing said the committee had spent "plenty of time" discussing the Falun Gong issue.

She said one member in particular had expressed concern at Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's recent "aggressive" remarks on the [group] banned as an "[Chinese government's slanderous term omitted]" by Beijing.

She said the committee felt peaceful protests by the [group] should be permitted even during President Jiang Zemin's visit next week.

Ms Lau said Secretary for Home Affairs Lam Woon-kwong, who led the government delegation to the meeting, had told delegates the Falun Gong could carry out any activities in Hong Kong within the law.

Mr Lam had said, however, that "there were people" who did not view the [group] as a religious society which is what it is registered as under the Societies Ordinance.

"He did not identify those people but we all know that is Tung Chee-hwa," Ms Lau said.

[...]