S'pore jails seven Falungong members

S'pore jails seven Falungong members

SINGAPORE (Reuters): A Singapore court sentenced seven members
of the Falungong spiritual movement to four weeks in jail on
Thursday for obstructing police and fined eight others for
holding a rally without a permit.

Subordinate Court magistrate Carol Ling said the defendants
"manifested an utter disregard" for police who waited three hours
before moving in to break up a New Year's Eve vigil commemorating
members the movement says have died in jails in China.

The 15 adherents, two Singaporeans and 13 Chinese nationals,
pleaded guilty to obstructing police and/or illegal assembly at
an earlier hearing.

The eight who were not jailed received the maximum fine of
S$1,000 (US$556). The seven had risked a maximum jail term of
three months.