Many tourists
to Hong Kong, especially those that visit the HK Tourist Board office on
Kowloon pier, will have noticed the demonstrations by a group called Falun Dafa. Often there are members of
the group demonstrating meditation techniques, usually there are graphic
posters of alleged mainland Chinese brutality against its adherents, always
there is loudspeaker propaganda and free leaflets.
Falun Dafa, originally called Falun Gong, was created in 1992 by a
Chinese national called Li Hongzhi. It is a blend of meditation, slow-moving qigong movements and the cultivation of
moral precepts, particularly truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. It
quickly caught on and attracted tens of millions of followers in China (the
group claims 100 million members by the late 1990s).
However,
things changed dramatically when over 10,000 members held a peaceful demonstration
outside the central government compound in Beijing in April 1999 requesting
legal recognition and freedom from state interference. Perhaps feeling
threatened by the size and independent objectives of the movement, the Communist
Party leadership cracked down – hard. It outlawed the movement calling it
heretical and a threat to stability and – according to human rights groups –
subjected its members to a variety of abuses, including mass imprisonment, forced
labour and torture. The founder, Li Hongzhi, moved to the USA in 1996 and Falun Dafa is still active worldwide
with (it is claimed) hundreds of thousands of practitioners in 70 countries.
…So, the fact that Hong Kong allows the Falun Dafa group to exercise its
democratic right to demonstrate in public and share its views is a huge measure
of Hong Kong’s own independence and China’s forbearance towards Hong Kong. Long
may it continue.
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| Causeway Bay |
I was
reminded of this the other evening when I was strolling around Causeway Bay,
one of the busiest shopping areas on Hong Kong Island.
 |
| Falun Dafa meditators |
The Falun Dafa people had set up their
stalls on one of the main pedestrianized streets. There were meditators, several placards
and a display apparently alleging that the authorities were harvesting organs from members
held prisoner in mainland China – and there were plenty of posters with graphic
photos of torture to back it up.
 |
They did
not have it all their own way however, a dispute broke out when I was there and
some ladies began pushing and shoving each other (all the while trying to
capture the dispute on their mobile phones!) The police swiftly moved in to
separate the parties and peace was eventually restored.
Because
this is Hong Kong, which is a major temple of consumerism, there was a more traditional
demonstration going on just 20 yards away from the Falun Dafa folk. Poor girls, I’m sure they were frozen, the
temperature was about 15 degrees Celsius with a bitter wind.
(UPDATE: FOUR DAYS LATER)
This afternoon there was an organised counter-demonstration, about 18 people dressed in uniform green jackets with yellow sashes who formed a line and shouted slogans in unison, led by a chap with a megaphone standing at the front.
And in case their message needed reinforcing, there was another gentleman with another megaphone at the back, adding to the din...
Of course, the Falun Dafa people weren't going to be deafened without retaliating and a couple of them approached the demonstrators with their own megaphone. The police- who I hope were wearing earplugs - kept the peace as usual.
As I stood there photographing a young man sidled up to me and began talking:
"You shouldn't think these demonstrators in the green jackets are Hong Kong people. They are from the mainland, Communists. They're poorly educated, recent immigrants to Hong Kong who can't find jobs, so the Chinese authorities pay them to demonstrate against the Falun Dafa people. Sometimes they start violence, hitting them, not just shouting at them."
"Are you a member of Falun Dafa?" I asked.
He hesitated for a moment, then said "I support them but I am not a member."
Hmmmmm.
 |
| cold ladies... |
This afternoon there was an organised counter-demonstration, about 18 people dressed in uniform green jackets with yellow sashes who formed a line and shouted slogans in unison, led by a chap with a megaphone standing at the front.
And in case their message needed reinforcing, there was another gentleman with another megaphone at the back, adding to the din...
Of course, the Falun Dafa people weren't going to be deafened without retaliating and a couple of them approached the demonstrators with their own megaphone. The police- who I hope were wearing earplugs - kept the peace as usual.
As I stood there photographing a young man sidled up to me and began talking:
"You shouldn't think these demonstrators in the green jackets are Hong Kong people. They are from the mainland, Communists. They're poorly educated, recent immigrants to Hong Kong who can't find jobs, so the Chinese authorities pay them to demonstrate against the Falun Dafa people. Sometimes they start violence, hitting them, not just shouting at them."
"Are you a member of Falun Dafa?" I asked.
He hesitated for a moment, then said "I support them but I am not a member."
Hmmmmm.
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