Since the suppression by Chinese authorities begin in July 1999, Falun Gong has retained its legal standing in Hong Kong, and practitioners there are still entitled to freely exercise their beliefs and assemble for protests, marches, and conferences. However,
Human Rights Watch reports that the government has "quietly chipped away at the rights" of practitioners in the territory in response to pressure from Beijing. By late 1999, there had been several instances of Hong Kong book stores refusing to stock Falun Gong books. In December of that year,
Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa objected to a planned Falun Gong conference, and warned against activities that were "not in the interests of China, Hong Kong, or the 'one country, two systems.'" In June 2000 and on several subsequent occasions, authorities enforced travel restrictions to prevent Falun Gong practitioners from entering the territory to stage demonstrations. The practitioners closely abided by the law, taking pains to ensure their conduct was beyond reproach. He also stated that Falun Gong would not be allowed to "abuse Hong Kong’s freedoms and tolerance," and called its protests against the Beijing government "unacceptable." The government's stance attracted condemnation from segments of Hong Kong civil society and pro-democracy lawmakers. Speaking to the
Wall Street Journal, Rev. Stephen Chan, a
Catholic priest, said "the government is damaging the reputation of a group of people who have broken no laws." Officials’ stance toward Falun Gong began to soften as the
March 2002 elections for chief executive approached, as politicians were eager to show that "One Country, Two Systems" remained intact. In 2002, the Hong Kong government proposed "
Article 23," an anti-subversion law that would have prohibited acts of
sedition or subversion against the Chinese central government in Beijing. It also would have prohibited foreign political organizations or bodies from conducting political activities in the region, and to prohibit political organizations from establishing ties with foreign organizations. The proposal was controversial, and if successful likely would have resulted far greater limitations being placed on Falun Gong practitioners' ability to organise and protest in the territory. The bill was withdrawn after a July 2003 protest that drew approximately 350,000 to 700,000 Hong Kong citizens, thereby ensuring that Falun Gong practitioners would still have the right to assemble.
Travel restrictions Beginning in late 2000, there have seen several instances in which Hong Kong authorities barred Falun Gong practitioners from entering the territory to participate in demonstrations, conferences, and other events. In 2003, 80
Taiwanese practitioners were blocked from entering Hong Kong, despite already having obtained visas. The Hong Kong Association of Falun Gong applied for a
judicial review of the event, setting off a six-year human rights case that tested the integrity of the
one country, two systems arrangement. The
lawsuit continued until 2009 when the court ruled to dismiss the case. In 2004, a
Canadian Falun Gong practitioner on a book tour was denied entry to the territory, and in 2008, two Falun Gong practitioners from the
United States and
Switzerland were separately denied entry while on professional and research trips. In 2007, hundreds of Taiwanese practitioners were prevented from entering Hong Kong or detained at the airport. In 2010,
Hong Kong immigration officials denied visas to several production staff with the Falun Gong-affiliated
Shen Yun dance company, which was scheduled to perform in January 2010.
Democratic Party chairman
Albert Ho said the denial of the visas was a worrying new erosion of Hong Kong's freedoms and damaged the reputation of Hong Kong as a liberal and open society. ==See also==