Hong Kong - Members of the Falun Gong staged a protest in Hong Kong Friday ahead of the 10th anniversary of the banning of the spiritual movement by China.

About 30 members protested outside government offices in Hong Kong's Chater Garden, calling for an end to what they claim has been a decade of officially sanctioned persecution.

In April 1999, about 10,000 Falun Gong members surrounded the Communist Party's leadership compound in Beijing, an incident that triggered a nationwide crackdown on the movement by China's leadership.

Three months later, on July 20, 1999, Falun Gong was banned and later declared an evil cult by China's government, a move that led to what members claim has been a decade of jailings, illegal detentions, torture and killings.

Hong Kong is the only place in China where Falun Gong members are free to stage public demonstrations because of the former British colony's "one country, two systems" status within China. (dpa)