The appeal outside the Liaison Office

On the 11th of October 2004, at 10a.m. local time, Hong Kong’s Court of Appeal handed down their unanimous opinion: An acquittal for the four Swiss Falun Gong practitioners charged with obstructing traffic outside the PRC Liaison Office in March of 2002.

On the 14th of March 2002, the accused were holding a hunger strike protest against an order issued by the former President of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Jiang Zemin: “Shoot to kill Falun Gong practitioners on public streets.” The Swiss and Hong Kong practitioners were arrested at that same location.

On the 15th of September 2004, after twenty six days of tough court hearings, the sixteen accused, including the four Swiss practitioners, were charged with blocking public access. The appeals court reversed the decision and acquitted all on the major counts, including obstruction of public access.

The court affirmed the legality of the practitioners’ actions on the ten metre-wide pavement. Any group with less than fifty participants may assemble, without a licence, in any of Hong Kong’s public places. This regulation also applies to foreigners. The court expressly points out in its first summary decision that no apparent rationale was brought forward that would justify that presentation of a license could have caused an unlawful obstruction to public access.

The verdict was one hundred pages long and separated the police accusation of obstruction of public access for the arrest. This particular issue was overruled in favour of the accuser and against the eleven accused from Hong Kong and New Zealand. Another appeal will be filed.

Flowers have been planted outside the PRC Liaison Office to prevent future demonstrations

Today one finds hastily planted flowerbeds outside the PRC liaison office. This is to prevent any future demonstrations outside the liaison office in Hong Kong. It’s ironic that no one can obstruct the rarely used sidewalk any longer.

For further information, please contact:
Erich Bachmann Tel.: +41 (0) 71 - 6727070

Individual accounts of the concerned parties can be found at
http://www.focus-hongkong.ch/Hungerstreik.htm

Translated from German at http://de.clearharmony.net/articles/200411/20383.html