Immigration officials keep a blacklist of undesirables, the Hong Kong security secretary said yesterday at a hearing where lawmakers from the special administrative region demanded to know why Falun Gong followers recently were bar-red from entering.
Hong Kong had previously denied there was any blacklist of the 100 Falun Gong meditation sect adherents turned away at the airport ahead of an appearance by Chinese President Jiang Zemin (江澤民) early this month.
Secretary of Security Regina Ip acknowledged for the first time yesterday that a blacklist exists, but she declined to be drawn on whether any Falun Gong members are on it.
"In each country, the immigration authorities are aware of the fact that there is a list of people, you may say it's a `blacklist' as termed by the media," Ip told a legislative hearing.
"Each government has such a list. It's not a list that doesn't ever change. It's subject to review from time to time."
Ip said Hong Kong's blacklist is drawn up by the head of immigration and is based on several considerations, including an individual's motivation for trying to enter, political and cultural circumstances in Hong Kong at the time and the person's background.
Ip reiterated the decisions to bar the Falun Gong followers were made according to individual considerations and she said they were not politically motivated.
Dozens of foreign followers of the Falun Gong meditation sect were allowed into Hong Kong ahead of the Fortune Global Forum conference this month, which also was attended by former US president Bill Clinton, but about 100 were kept out.
Falun Gong followers have maintained there was a blacklist, with some saying immigration officials appeared to use special code numbers when stopping people at passport control.
Falun Gong has been declared illegal and subjected to a severe crackdown in China, where the government has been alarmed by the group's organizational abilities, but it is still permitted in Hong Kong.
However, the Hong Kong government last week disclosed it is looking into how other countries deal with cults -- a move widely believed to be targeted at Falun Gong.
Opposition lawmakers accused the government of abusing police power in what critics have called the harsh handling of protesters outside the Fortune global conference.
Three activists were charged with obstructing the activities of the police during a minor scuffle.
"I worry that the secretary has no regret about this whatsoever," said pro-democracy lawmaker Emily Lau. "That is contrary to the expectations of the Hong Kong community."
Opposition legislator Cheung Man-kwong warned unnecessary force could put the public at odds with the police.
Around 10 activists showed up to protest outside the hearing, holding up a banner which said: "Abuse of police power, betrayal of human rights."
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS