Falun Gong Members Refusing to Pay Fines
One of 16 Falun Gong followers convicted of blocking a Hong Kong sidewalk during a protest against China’s crackdown on the group said the defendants will refuse to pay their fines.
“We did not break any laws,” Wang Yiu-hing said. “Even if we go to jail, we’re not going to pay.”
The 16 filed court papers seeking to avoid paying the fines while they appeal, but Magistrate Symon Wong turned them down.
Wong convicted the 16 on Thursday in Hong Kong’s first criminal trial against members of the spiritual movement. Their fines range from $167 to $487, but none of the defendants got jail time.
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