British Parliamentarians Raise the Issue of Article 23 and Falun Gong with the UK Government

Mr Gregory Barker MP for Bexhill & Battle put forward the following written parliamentary question on Wednesday 16th July 2003:

“To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Chinese Government's use of Article 23 legislation and the practice of Falun Gong in Hong Kong; what reports he has received on the extent of consultation by the Chinese Government with the people of Hong Kong on the use of Article 23; and what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the use of Article 23 in relation to the practice of Falun Gong and safeguards given to the people of Hong Kong when the territory was returned to China.”

During the months of June and July 2003, Members of both Houses of Parliament raised their concerns regarding Article 23 and its impact on the human rights of Falun Gong practitioners. Parliamentarians who raised such questions included Lord Hylton and Mrs Patsy Calton MP.