The people of Taiwan have long doubted whether they could trust Beijing's offer of unification under the same model Hong Kong had to accept when Britain handed it back to China.
Several Falun Gong followers from Taiwan said yesterday their suspicions were confirmed after scores of them were singled out at the Hong Kong airport and deported ahead of protests planned for a visit by Chinese President Jiang Zemin (
PHOTO: AP
The Taiwanese group said their bitter experience has confirmed worries that Hong Kong's so-called "one country, two systems" form of government equates to a loss of freedom.
"Such things would be most incredible if they happened in Taiwan," said Lin Shu-hui (
"I will never trust any offers by the Chinese communists," said Lin, a housewife. "They cheat you when they can, and once they get you snared in their trap, they make an about-face."
Hong Kong has enjoyed considerable local autonomy since the former British colony was returned to Chinese sovereignty nearly four years ago.
China has proposed a similar arrangement that would let the people of Taiwan control their day-to-day dealings while leaving Beijing in charge of matters such as foreign affairs.
Many in Taiwan have watched developments in Hong Kong quite closely for clues about how well Beijing keeps its promises, and the Falun Gong followers didn't like what they saw first-hand this week.
Lin said Hong Kong immigration officials first greeted the group with friendly gestures and asked to see their passports. Once they were identified as Falun Gong followers, the officials put them in a small room for questioning and they were not even allowed to use the toilet, Lin said.
One organizer, Huang Chun-mei (黃春梅), said she was frustrated because the immigration officials never told her why she was blocked from entering the Chinese-ruled territory.
"We asked them if it was because we were involved with Falun Gong, but they didn't say anything," Huang said.
"If they stopped us from coming in because we planned to practice Falun Gong, what they [the Hong Kong authorities] needed to do was tell us and we would have left immediately. They didn't need to detain us and treat us like criminals," she said. Huang was detained by Hong Kong immigration officials for four hours before being forced to fly back to Taiwan.
"I think the government must have some problems, otherwise why would they treat peaceful people like this? I don't understand how Hong Kong has become so terrible so quickly," said Chai Ching-chuang (柴敬樁) who traveled to Hong Kong accompanied by 14 Falun Gong supporters from Kaohsiung on Monday morning. Chai and members of his group made it past immigration officials.
"Where a territory can show its autonomy is how it handles the existence of different voices. But what Taiwanese Falun Gong followers experienced in Hong Kong reflects the real face of `one country-two systems.' I think the Hong Kong government should apologize for what they did to us," said Chang Ching-hsi (張清溪), an economist and chairman of the Taiwan Falun Gong Research Organization.
Hong Kong officials have insisted no one was barred entry for being a Falun Gong adherent, but the immigration department has declined to say how many people have been kept out or to say why.
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