Hong Kong warns Falun Gong

By Staff and wire reports

HONG KONG, China -- Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa has warned he will keep a close eye on the controversial Falun Gong sect, already outlawed in China.

Breaking his silence on the spiritual group, Tung told legislators on Thursday the sect would not be allowed to use religion as an excuse to exploit Hong Kong's freedoms, and undermine order and stability in the territory or mainland China.

Tung's comments come as the Falun Gong step up their campaign in Hong Kong against a recent crackdown by the communist leadership in Beijing.

The Falun Gong, which Tung called a "cult," must be closely monitored, he said, adding he was shocked by the images of people who set themselves on fire in an apparent suicide bid in Beijing's Tiananmen Square last month.

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Tung Chee-hwa says we are keeping a close eye on Falun Gong 365KB/33 sec AIFF or WAV sound

Beijing has intensified its clamp-down on the group after the incident despite Falun Gong leaders denying its members were involved in the incident.

The sect has been banned in China since 1999, where it is branded by Beijing as an "evil cult." It is legal in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, which retains most of the autonomy it had under British rule.

Threat to territory's autonomy

Under pressure from Beijing to clamp down on the Falun Gong, but facing equally vigorous lobbying from pro-democracy forces, Tung avoided saying what action he would take against the Falun Gong in Hong Kong, if anything.

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"We will keep a close watch on Falun Gong to see what they are going to do and we'll monitor the situation very closely to make sure that there will be public peace and order in Hong Kong because in this case there is an element of a cult." - Tung Chee-hwa

Tung, however, said he was in no hurry to enact a sedition law, required by Hong Kong's post-colonial constitution to prohibit treason, secession, sedition and subversion against Beijing.

Legislators slam Tung

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Falun Gong: China's Dilemma   •  What is Falun Gong?   •  Photo Gallery   •  Lam: High price of suppression   •  Chinoy: Righteous voices   •  Denial of ties to self-immolation   •  Message Board

A number of legislators voiced their concerns, asking why Tung would want to watch the group closely when they had done "nothing criminal."

Democratic Party chairman Martin Lee said this was a real test for the "one country, two systems" form of government.

"If the Hong Kong government is pressured by Beijing to ban the Falun Gong then what's the message they are sending all over the world? The message will be one country, one system."

Falun Gong reacts

The Falun Gong in Hong Kong group said it would be more cautious in light of recent verbal attacks against it by the government and pro-China figures.

"Some people have been using recent attacks by the government to defame the Falun Gong," group spokesman Kan Hung-cheung said. "We will be more cautious and more alert, to prevent people from having anything to hold against us."

Falun Gong has attracted millions of followers, most of them in China, with its combination of slow-motion exercises and philosophy drawn from Taoism, Buddhism and the often unorthdox ideas of founder Li Hongzhi.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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