National security law: Hong Kong authorities to investigate Falun Gong after lawmakers call for it to be banned

Pro-establishment lawmakers accuse spiritual movement, considered cult by Beijing, of being pawn of foreign forces, subverting state power

Security chief Chris Tang vows to investigate, but stops short of offering definitive answer as to whether group is illegal under security law

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A woman walks past a display set up by the Falun Gong on a street corner in Causeway Bay in 2013. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 9:05pm, 7 Jul 2021Updated: 9:48pm, 7 Jul 2021

A top Hong Kong official has pledged to investigate the local chapter of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, which pro-establishment lawmakers on Wednesday accused of breaching the national security law – an allegation a local leader of the group vehemently denied.

Though he said he would take the accusations seriously, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung, formerly the city’s police commissioner, stopped short of offering a definitive answer as to whether the group – which is banned in mainland China – was legal under the Beijing-imposed legislation.

“National security is a top priority. There have been different accusations concerning whether the Falun Gong has violated the national security law,” Tang told lawmakers during a Legislative Council session.

“We will look into it thoroughly, but we will not comment on individual cases now. If there is enough evidence, we will use our power to freeze the funds of illegal organisations.”

Secretary for Security Chris Tang attends a Legislative Council session on Wednesday. Photo: May Tse

Tang on Wednesday was asked by lawmaker Elizabeth Quat, of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), to comment on whether the government had considered banning the Falun Gong in the city.