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.