By Damian Grammaticas
BBC Hong Kong correspondent
The Roman Catholic Church and the spiritual group Falun Gong are joining
forces in Hong Kong to fight new anti-treason laws.
The recently-appointed Catholic Bishop for Hong Kong, Joseph Zen, has said
the regulations currently being drawn up threaten Falun Gong’s freedom to
practice in the territory.
Bishop Zen’s outspoken stance has brought him into conflict with the
governments in Hong Kong and China, and has made him one of the most
high-profile defenders of Hong Kong’s freedoms.
Bishop Zen has proved himself a dogged campaigner
Bishop Zen was only appointed a few weeks ago following the death of
Cardinal John Baptist Wu, but he has already had a profound impact on the
territory.
Joseph Zen, 70, is a small, slight figure, with an impish sense of humour
and the energy of a much younger man. Most of all, he is a dogged campaigner
against poverty, discrimination and repression.
He has already challenged Hong Kong’s chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, head
on.
“We have the impression that Mr Tung sometime may abdicate to his own
responsibility, and Mr Tung doesn’t talk much about those issues,” he has
said.
‘Defending freedom’
But the main issue they have clashed on is Hong Kong’s proposed new treason
laws. With China’s backing, Mr Tung wants to implement far-reaching new
legislation.
Any organisation the Chinese government deems a threat to its national
security is likely to be banned in Hong Kong too.
Mr Tung says his proposals do not conflict with Hong Kong’s constitution or
two human rights treaties the territory has signed.
“The proposals are fully consistent with the basic law human rights
ordinance and the two international covenants as applied to Hong Kong,” he
said.
“I wish to emphasise our proposal will not undermine in any way the existing
human rights and civil liberties enjoyed by the people of Hong Kong,” he
said.
But Bishop Zen is not reassured. He is fearful that groups like the Falun
Gong movement, which blends Buddhism and traditional Chinese qi gong, or
spiritual healing, will no longer be free to practice in Hong Kong.
“Freedom has to be defended. You cannot take that for granted,” he said.
“It’s not a gift, it’s a right.
“If they damage the freedom, everybody should be considered.
“If we can be sure that they (Falun Gong practitioners) have done nothing
illegal or violent then they should not be persecuted.”
Joining forces
The Falun Gong movement has been outlawed in China for several years.
If Hong Kong’s new legislation is enacted, all China would have to do is
designate the group an official security threat and its existence in the
territory would be threatened, the Falun Gong has said.
“The label that the Chinese Government has slapped on Falun Gong has changed
three or four times from not registered, to illegal organisation, to
reactionary group, to an inter-China political force, to <..>,” said
Sharon Shu, a Falun Gong spokeswoman,
“All these labels were slapped onto Falun Gong practitioners without any
legal procedures. So that label can change at any time.”
It is an unlikely alliance – the Catholic Church and the Falun Gong.
Marginalised already in Hong Kong, Falun Gong is grateful for any support it
gets. But Bishop Zen is also concerned about the future of the Catholic
Church.
The Vatican has relations with Taiwan, not Beijing. It also has links with
an estimated 10 million members of the underground Catholic Church inside
China.
That might be grounds enough for it to be banned too.
“If tomorrow they say the underground church in China is dangerous for the
state and then they say you are the same Catholic Church, and then we are in
trouble,” said Bishop Zen.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2543217.stm
Posting date: 6/Dec/2002
Original article date: 5/Dec/2002
Category: Media Reports
