08/24/2002

A Chinese-language newspaper yesterday apologized for refusing to run an advertisement from Falun Gong [practitioners] supporting their colleagues involved in a court case.

Apple Daily said in a full-page statement that it had received a request to publish an advertisement about the Falun Gong on the day a verdict in the case involving 16 [practitioners] of the group was due to be handed down on August 15.

The paper decided not to accept the advertisement for fear of perverting the course of justice as the trial had not been completed.

The half-page advert, which urged the government to clear the names of the [practitioners], was placed by a group of 'Hong Kong-loving overseas Chinese.' It was run in the Hong Kong Economic Journal on August 15.

The editorial department of Apple Daily said it now regretted its decision.

'The mass media must bear responsibility for social justice and freedom of speech as both things should be above everything,' it said.

'Following an internal discussion, we now feel that the decision not to accept the advert at the time was wrong and we would use this opportunity to apologize to our readers and Falun Gong-related individuals.'

One of the convicted [practitioners], Lau Wai-hing, said she was aware of the actions by the overseas Falun Gong practitioners.

'What appears in Apple Daily today is an act of intuitive knowledge on their part which we gladly appreciate. At least, it shows they can distinguish between right and wrong,' she said.

Solicitor Wong Kwok-tung said while reporting restrictions applied for the duration of the trial, the paper could have run the advert on the day of the verdict without being charged with perverting the course of justice.

As the case was not a jury trial, the magistrate should have written up his judgment before the day of the verdict, he said.

'It would be stupid to suggest that the magistrate would change his mind upon reading an advert in the newspaper.'

The Judiciary said last night the court was studying the matter and no comment could be made at this stage.

Meanwhile, Falun Gong [practitioners] said a Chinese-Australian practitioner was refused entry at Chek Lap Kok airport on Thursday when she flew in from Australia.

They said Zhang Cuiying, an artist who planned to hold an art exhibition in Hong Kong, was detained for five hours before being deported. Immigration Department officials were not available to comment on the case.