since the annual July 1st democracy parade their latest target is

the Falun Gong spiritual group. Hong Kong's government says Falun Gong

practitioners have to remove banners from the street, many of which have been there

for ten years to raise awareness of the persecution in the mainland. Some Hong

Kong legislators say this shows the increasing influence of the Communist

party in Hong Kong

This has been a common sight at Hong Kong tourist spots for the past ten years

Banners hang has Falun Gong practitioners raise awareness about

atrocities committed against the spiritual group in mainland china

Hong Kong's status as a special administrative region of China ensures

them basic rights, such as freedom of speech

Yet now, Hong Kong's government is telling Falun Gong they have to take the

banners down

They say it’s to ensure smooth traffic Flow, running of local elections and the

appearance of the city. Yet many hong Kong legislators feel it shows the

increasing influence of the Chinese regime in Hong Kong

If the government again suppresses disciplines like this, actually there'll be

no distinction between Hong Kong and mainland China. This is what we worry

about most. Actually not only are Hong Kong’s police becoming

More like the mainland public security bureau

even the front line workers and all government departments are becoming a lot like

the mainland public security bureau

Irregular advocate free speech in democracy legislator Leung Kwok Hung says the

request for Falun Gong to remove the banner is an attack on all Hong Kong's

residents

today this is not only aimed at Falun Gong actually it’s a violation

of our entire democratic society

rights activists say that since the July first democracy parade on through to the

visit of Chinese Communist party officials Li Ke Qiang in late August

the Hong Kong government has been cracking down on activists in the media

today the Hong Kong special administrative region government has

already become a puppet of the central government... whatever that central

government wants it to do, it does if it’s suppression

it suppresses, and it’s completely lost its independent autonomy

Law Yuk Kai says there is no legal justification for the government's

demands

(Speaking)

No matter how they distort the law

our fundamental rights should be respected

he's calling on citizens to be on their guard

as human rights in Hong Kong have deteriorated