GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: In China, the government continues its crackdown on followers of the banned sect Falun Gong, which is celebrating the 48th birthday of its founder and the anniversary of the movement. CNN's Hong Kong bureau chief Mike Chinoy has more.</s>MIKE CHINOY, CNN HONG KONG BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Eight years after it was founded, followers of the Falun Gong marked the movement's birthday with silent meditation in Hong Kong and civil disobedience in Beijing, as police again detained sect members in Tiananmen Square, repeating scenes at a protest earlier in the week. One-hundred and fifty supporters gathered in downtown Hong Kong where, unlike in mainland China, the movement remains legal. Practitioners insist they are not opposed to the Chinese government.</s>SOPHIE XIAO, FALUN GONG SPOKESWOMAN: There's practitioners in China, you know, they have no intention of getting into any political events or to interfere in any state affairs. You know, the only thing they want to do is to have a public area for them to do the practice.</s>CHINOY: With its Buddhist-based breathing and meditation exercises, Falun Gong has attracted millions of followers in China. Following a sit-in outside communist party headquarters in Beijing a year ago, the Chinese authorities banned the group as a threat to state security. Since then, thousands of members have been detained. Even here in Hong Kong, supporters say the crackdown has had a chilling effect.</s>XIAO: I guess there are a number of people, you know, probably being scared. Of course, they always, you know -- because China is so close, you know -- I mean, Hong Kong is so close to China, and that's -- of course, there are people felt this type of pressure.</s>CHINOY: The Chinese government has vowed to keep up the pressure, but there's no sign the Falun Gong is giving up. Mike Chinoy, CNN, Hong Kong.
China Government Continues Crackdown on Falun Gong Sect