Speech by Roger Helmer MEP at a Press Conference in Strasbourg (photo)

"Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen. I am delighted to be here today at this Falun Gong demonstration. I should say I am a Member of the European Parliament from British East Midlands and I am a member of the British Conservative Party. I am also a member of the European Parliament’s inter-parliamentary delegation to Southeast Asia. I made a number of trips to the area. I used to work in Hong Kong in 1972, 1973 and I have been a regular visitor to Hong Kong over the years since then.

I am very concerned about the issues of religious freedom; not only for Falun Gong, but also for other religions around the world. For example, I have been active in Indonesia with the problems of Christian persecution in Malacca’s Islands.

I am very concerned about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners that is taking place in the PRC and obviously therefore I share the concern expressed in this demonstration today at the risk that the proposed article 23 legislation in Hong Kong may leads to repression in Hong Kong itself. It is certainly very clear that Falun Gong practitioners have been very badly treated by the PRC government in Mainland China and of course we are all very concerned that there is a danger that that sort of abusive and repressive behaviour may be extended to Hong Kong.

I heard assurances from the Hong Kong government office that these measures are no different from similar measures in other liberal democracies. They will be interpreted by the Hong Kong courts and therefore we should have no causes of concern. I am delighted to receive these assurances but I think we all have to worry that if the government of the PRC chooses to use the article 23 proposals in a repressive way then they could extend the repression from the mainland into Hong Kong and that would be in defy the agreements that they reached on the systems of “one country and two systems” which we wish to see maintained.

I am also very concerned about the reports coming from Hong Kong that some of the international investors, some of the international banks based in Hong Kong feel that the article 23 proposals could represent a threat to banking secrecy for example, and as a result of that, banks might consider moving out of the Special Administrative Region. Now, of course, Hong Kong depends on its commercial success on the rule of the law on the confidence of international companies and international investors. So I would call upon both the government of Hong Kong and the government of PRC to respect the “one country two systems” approach in Hong Kong.

I would call upon Hong Kong government to ensure that the freedom of expression, freedom of religious belief and religious practice is maintained in Hong Kong. And perhaps the most importantly I think I’d like to take this opportunity to call on the government of the PRC to desist from the persecution of minorities and all Falun Gong practitioners in China. The time is come for human rights to become respected around the world and if the Republic of China wishes to be accepted as a modern nation, then it needs to pay attention to the standard of the human rights that we enjoy in the European Union and many other countries around the world.

Thank you very much indeed."