HONG KONG (AP) - Pro-Beijing forces on Friday applauded Hong Kong's chief executive for calling the Falun Gong sect a ``cult'' that needs to be closely watched by the authorities, but human rights groups were worried.
Falun Gong followers were outraged at what they called an unfair and inaccurate attack from Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa during a question-and-answer session with lawmakers on Thursday. His statements sharply raised the volume in the debate over the sect's activities in Hong Kong.
The meditation sect has made authorities in mainland China nervous because of its ability to summon thousands of followers to protests. It is banned in mainland China but remains legal in Hong Kong.
``We are always peaceful,'' said Wang Yaoqing, a Falun Gong adherent who takes her 8-year-old son to practice deep-breathing and meditation exercises opposite China's representative office in Hong Kong every morning.
``Tung has never communicated or tried to understand us. He's just taking the central government's command,'' Wang said during a break from her routine early Friday.
Beijing and its allies among local newspapers and politicians are demanding a crackdown on Falun Gong in Hong Kong. Although Tung stopped short of announcing any action, Beijing's side was clearly pleased to have seen him adopt so much of Beijing's line on Falun Gong.
Ma Lik, the secretary general of Hong Kong's biggest pro-Beijing political party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, said Tung was acting in Hong Kong's interests.
``Does one want to force him to say that everything is OK and we'll do nothing?'' said Ma, who is also a local representative of the mainland National People's Congress. ``It would be difficult for him to explain that to Beijing.''
Tung angered Falun Gong members by citing an incident last month in Beijing, when five purported followers of the sect set themselves on fire.
Falun Gong said the people who tried to kill themselves could not have been true believers, since the group opposes suicide. It accused Beijing of using the incident as part of a propaganda campaign.
``I thought his remarks were very irresponsible and incredibly unfair,'' said Sharon Xu, a Falun Gong spokeswoman.
She said she was worried about Tung's statement that Hong Kong will monitor Falun Gong ``very carefully.''
``I don't know what that means,'' asked Xu. ``Does that mean to have people following us?''
Hong Kong's handling of the Falun Gong controversy is seen as a key test of its freedoms of speech and religion, holdovers from British colonial days.
A joint statement made by 12 Christian organizations said any suppression of Falun Gong could also affect them. It urged the government to maintain its religious tolerance.
AP-NY-02-09-01 0324EST
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.