The “long arm” of Beijing prevented Australian Falun Gong practitioners
from
joining last year’s Chinese New Year Festival in the southern city of
Melbourne, lawyers for the spiritual movement said Tuesday.
Mark Irving, an attorney for Australian Falun Gong members, told a civil
court in Victoria state that the Federation of Chinese Associations,
which
organizes the annual festival, discriminated against his clients because
of
their political and religious views. Falun Gong, which combines
slow-motion
exercise with Buddhist and Taoist beliefs, was branded an “…”
and
outlawed by China in 1999. Since then, authorities in China have
conducted a
harsh crackdown on its followers.
Irving said Falun Gong members had been refused the right to open a
stall at
the 2002 event on Little Bourke Street in Melbourne’s Chinatown district
because the organizers feared their presence “might upset powerful
friends.”
“What’s occurred in this case is that the long arm of that Beijing-based
anti-religious bigotry has stretched out to Little Bourke Street,” he
told
the court.
Irving said the Falun Gong members were told no more space was available
for
stalls, but when they complained to the Equal Opportunity Commission
their
application was accepted. However, a day before the festival began, the
Falun Gong members were again told their application was rejected, with
no
reasons given.
Lawyers for the Chinese associations were due to make their opening
submission in court Wednesday and were not immediately available for
comment.
Irving said his clients were not seeking financial compensation, but an
admission of fault and an apology.
Posting date: 20/Feb/2003
Original article date: 19/Feb/2003
Category: Media Reports
