August 15, 2002

Washington, D.C. - On Thursday, sixteen Falun Gong practitioners, who were holding a peaceful hunger strike at the Chinese Liaison Office in Hong Kong last March, were convicted of causing "obstruction" on trumped-up charges.

The hunger strike began when four Swiss Falun Gong practitioners were held up in Hong Kong en route to Beijing to petition the Chinese government to stop the persecution of persons exercising their internationally recognized human right to practice their spiritual beliefs. They were denied entry into China, even though they had valid visas.

Congressman Chris Smith, Vice Chairman of the House Committee on International Relations strongly denounced the Hong Kong court ruling against the Falun Gong.

"These peaceful protesters were mistreated by the police. Excessive force was used during the arrests, that included strangling and subduing practitioners through applying painful pressure to sensitive acupuncture points that injured nine."

"Not a single bystander or passer-by -- other than the police themselves -- testified that the practitioners obstructed the pavement. During the trial, the defense actually showed a video showing that the practitioners occupied only 7 square meters while the pavement has a space of 140 meters."

"Today's ruling is not only the latest in China's persecution of the Falun Gong, but also an affront to the rule of law in Hong Kong. It is a dangerous and troubling sign that China's disgraceful and brutal campaign against people of faith has been expanded to a new level."

"The world was told by the People's Republic of China that Hong Kong and China would exist under a 'two governments, one nation' system. The actions against the Falun Gong in Hong Kong clearly show that the ongoing process by which basic freedoms and democracy are withering away in Hong Kong have reached a new low. Once again, the world has been shown that the word of the PRC means nothing. Peaceful people have been denied freedom of expression and unjustly convicted of a bogus crime."

"The dictators in Bejing now seek to export their brutal persecution of Falun Gong beyond the borders of mainland China. In China, this persecution has been well documented by many international observers, including the United States Department of State. It has included a nationwide propaganda campaign, arrests of tens of thousands, brainwashing, and torturing to the point of death of several hundred practitioners."

"When Jiang Zemin comes to the US this fall, I will be prepared to defend the Falun Gong's right to protest and speak out strongly against his regime's persecution of the Falun Gong."