HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong said on Friday it must consider all options, including legislation, when dealing with religious cults.
Chief Secretary Donald Tsang made the remarks amid press speculation that the government will outlaw the controversial Falun Gong spiritual movement, which has been banned in mainland China as an ``evil cult.''
But the movement is legal in this autonomous Special Administration Region (SAR) of China, although the local government has hit out at the group, which has been active in protesting against Beijing's crackdown.
``You talk about legislation on cults, as a responsible government, the SAR chief will have to consider all options,'' Tsang said in his first meeting with legislators as the territory's chief secretary.
``We must make adequate preparations so that we will not be at a loss when things do happen.''
But he assured legislators that there would be full public consultation before specific legislation was prepared to ban the activities of movements such as the Falun Gong.
``But then one thing is clear. The SAR chief will have to abide by the law, and also, legislation will be based on the opinions of the public in Hong Kong. We cannot enact legislation without consulting the wider public,'' Tsang said.
Hong Kong, a former British colony which returned to China in 1997, had taken a relaxed stance toward the Falun Gong until the group held a high-profile international conference condemning Chinese President Jiang Zemin in January.
The conference prompted Beijing to issue stern warnings that any attempt to turn Hong Kong into a center for the Falun Gong or an anti-China base would not be tolerated.
Pro-Beijing figures in Hong Kong echoed this by urging the government to consider enact a subversion law to rein in the Falun Gong.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa has said the group will not be allowed to exploit Hong Kong's freedoms to undermine order and stability in either the territory or China.