A subversion and sedition law is being urged in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) to regulate the activities of the Falun Gong in the region, a major newspaper reported yesterday.

The Sunday Morning Post, part of the South China Morning Post, carried a front-page story calling on the local government to actively consider enacting a subversion law to tackle the activities of the Falun Gong in the SAR.

The English-language newspaper cited Executive Councillor Nellie Fong Wong Kut-man as saying that in the past there had been no urgent need to enact Article 23 of the Basic Law, which covers subversion and sedition, but the Falun Gong controversy has changed that.

"We didn't actively legislate the article as there was no urgent social need. Now, regarding the case of the Falun Gong, we shall have to actively consider enacting Article 23," Fong said, adding that she felt that the existence of Falun Gong in Hong Kong is embarrassing for Hong Kongers.

(Xinhua 2001/02/05)