Falun Gong says 25 members denied entry
Twenty-five Falun Gong members have been refused entry to Hong Kong over the past four days for what immigration officials said were 'security reasons'.
A spokeswoman for Falun Gong in Hong Kong, Sophie Xiao, said the 25 followers had intended to attend the group's annual conference yesterday, then join a march to the Central Government's Liaison Office today to protest against Beijing's suppression of the group.
She said 20 of the rejected followers were from Taiwan and the rest from Macau, including four who arrived yesterday.
One of the Taiwanese followers who arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday was allegedly injected with an unknown substance while she was forcibly put on a flight back to Taiwan by immigration officers.
While the Immigration Department has denied giving any injections, Ms Xiao yesterday said the 54-year-old follower underwent a checkup in a Taipei hospital, which found two needle marks in her right foot.
'Those who were refused entry were told that it's for security reasons that they could not enter Hong Kong. I feel very sorry to see it happen again this year. There has been no improvement at all,' Ms Xiao said.
She said about 300 Falun Gong members had been refused entry to Hong Kong to join their conferences over the past three years, including about 150 from Taiwan.
The Immigration Department declined to comment on individual cases yesterday. But it said it had acted according to the law and government policy.
The Falun Gong has written to Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee Siu-kwong, protesting against what it said was Hong Kong authorities' aiding in the suppression of the group. The movement is banned on the mainland and branded an 'evil cult'.
