Motion No. 704 Passed in Australian Senate to Rescue the Family Members of Australians (Photos)

On the afternoon of December 1, motion no. 704 initiated by Senator Stott Despoja,
Australian Democrats’ Foreign Affairs spokesperson, at the Australian Senate
about the relatives of Australian citizens who are being persecuted for practicing
Falun Gong, was passed at Senate in the Parliament House in Canberra.

The following is the text of the motion:

“That the Senate–

(a) notes that:
(i) close relatives of Australian citizens are currently being detained by
the People’s Republic of China on the basis that they practise Falun Gong,
and
(ii) the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights applies to the
treatment of Falun Gong practitioners worldwide;

(b) expresses its support for an open and effective human rights dialogue
between Australia and the People’s Republic of China;

(c) calls on the Australian Government, in the context of the human rights
dialogue, to:
(i) raise the issue of the continued detention of Falun Gong practitioners
with close family ties to Australia, and
(ii) emphasise that the practise of religion should not form the basis of
the incarceration of any individual; and

(d) reaffirms its commitment to freedom of belief within Australia and recognises
the freedom of Australians to practise Falun Gong without fear of harassment.”

On the day when the motion was passed, about 200 Falun Gong practitioners from
all over the country gathered in front of the parliament house in Canberra,
handed in 21,700 signatures from the Australian public who signed the petition
to support the motion of rescuing the family members of Australians, and to
support the senate’s discussion about this motion. While expressing the appreciation
to the Australian government, members of the parliament, non government organizations
and the public for their effort in helping rescue Ms. Li Ying, the fiancee of
Australian citizen Li Qizhong, they also extended condolences to Ouyang Ming,
the younger brother of Australian citizen Ouyang Yu.

Since the persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999, it is known that 26 family
members of Australians have been sent to forced labor education, imprisoned
or even tortured to death for practicing Falun Gong. The related details have
been made public internationally. Among them three practitioners have died (including
the younger brother of Australian citizen Ouyang Yu, Ouyang Ming, who was tortured
to death in August in China), eight are still being illegally detained, and
seven have been released due to the support of the Australian public and the
government (include Ms. Li Ying, who is the fiancee of Australian citizen Li
Qizhong, who has been illegally imprisoned in Shanghai Qingsong Women’s Forced
Labor Camp, was recently released and arrived in Sydney on November 29).

Falun Dafa spokesperson in Australia, John Deller welcomed the senate motion.
“While Ouyang Ming, the brother of Australian citizen Ouyang Yu, has died,
Li Ying, the fiancee of Australian citizen Cheezong Lee, has been successfully
rescued. Although their cases are similar, the results are very different. This
sends a strong message to the Australian society, that in the case of Falun
Gong, talks behind closed doors didn’t and don’t work.” John Deller said,
“Since 2001 at bilateral Australia-China Human Rights Dialogues, Ouyang
Ming’s name was included four times in lists of family members that the Australian
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade presented to the Chinese government,
including the most recent dialogue in July this year. However, nothing happened,
and Ming died in August this year from unspeakable torture methods in a labor
camp. For the other case when Li Ying was detained in a labor camp, outside
and international concerns and support, including letters, postcards, and phone
calls, reached where Li Ying was detained, so she didn’t suffer much of those
tortures that other practitioners suffered. And she is free today.” He
further said, “This clearly demonstrates that international support, no
matter where it is from or how little it might seem, does help and work, and
may create an effect you didn’t think of.”

Australian Democrats’ Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Senator Stott Despoja indicated,
“The Democrats appreciate the importance of the relationship between the
Australian Government and the Chinese Government, however, we should never sacrifice
human rights issues for trade opportunities.” She said, “Australia’s
relationship with China, while significant, must be qualified by our firm opposition
to any conduct which violates fundamental human rights. The Democrats will continue
to highlight human rights abuses in China, in particular the persecution and
killings of Falun Gong practitioners.”

Despoja further indicated, “The stories of murder, torture and imprisonment
of Falun Gong practitioners are truly horrifying. Many Australian citizens have
relatives in China who are being subjected to such persecution and it would
be wrong not to use the Parliament to speak out on their behalf and highlight
their situation.

In the end, she said, “Motions, such as that passed by the Senate today
[December 1], not only send a message to the Chinese Government but also to
the Falun Gong community in Australia – that their struggle is recognized and
supported.”

After Two Years of Unjust Imprisonment in a Forced Labor
Camp, Practitioner Ms. Li Ying Arrives in Australia

On the morning of November 29, 2003, Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Li Ying, who
had been illegally imprisoned in a Chinese forced labor camp for two years,
finally arrived at the Sydney International Airport with her Australian fiancé,
Mr. Li Qizhong. Ms. Li revealed to the media the inhuman torture she had endured
in the labor camp. At the same time, Ms. Li expressed her appreciation to Australian
government and fellow Falun Gong practitioners who had been working hard to
rescue her.

Australian Falun Gong practitioners have organized a series of activities to
rescue practitioners’ family members who are illegally imprisoned in China.
Ms. Li is one of the practitioners they tried to rescue. Ms. Li said that she
was set free from the labor camp on October 15. She is very grateful to the
Australian government and the Australian Consuls in Shanghai, who made it possible
for her to come to Australia so soon. She also thanked her fiancé for
taking the risk to go to Shanghai and help her to get all necessary paperwork
done to come to Australia.

Li Ying revealed to the media what she had experienced in the labor camp. In
January 2001, she was abducted and sent for brainwashing. Staff in the brainwashing
center asked her two questions: Is Falun Gong good or not? Will you still practice
it? She answered that Falun Gong is good and that she will continue to practice.
As a result, she was incarcerated for four months.

To protest this human rights violation, she went on hunger strike for a month.
She was force-fed as a result, and her health was in a desperate situation.
Some staff told her, “Putting you in jail or under house arrest is exactly what
we want to do. We are government institutions, so what do you think you can
do about it?” She asked, “Can a government violate the law without being punished?”
They had no answer. Later, Ms. Li’s workplace bailed her out. On October
16, 2001, when she went to Hangzhou on a business trip, she was once again unlawfully
arrested. She was sent to the Shanghai Qingsong Female Forced Labor Camp where
she was to be confined for 2 years. The reason recorded was “other,” because
her confinement was not based on any actual law.

Ms. Li Ying said, “In the labor camp, I resisted their persecution. They hung
me with my hands cuffed behind my back for three days. Sometimes, they cuffed
my hands behind my back to an iron door. It was very cold. They did not allow
me to put on more clothes. They locked me in a solitary confinement cell for
more than six months. They were afraid that my determination would interfere
with their so-called “re-education” of other practitioners.

In the labor camp, we usually got up at 5 am and started working at 7 am until
11 pm or midnight. We often got blisters on our palms. Some practitioners were
punished to sit on a very tiny stool, as a result, their buttocks started festering.
Some were punished to stand for a long time. After a few months, their feet
were so swollen that they were unable to walk. Some were beaten with electric
batons so badly that it was hard to find any good piece of skin on their bodies.
Different places adopted different ways to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.
In some areas, there were more physical tortures. In other places, there were
more mental tortures. To put it simply, they used various ways to persecute
practitioners.”

When reporters asked Li Ying about the pressure and harm her family members
had experienced, Ms. Li said, “My parents suffered a lot. My older sister, my
younger brother and I were imprisoned in different labor camps. My mother had
to go to different places to visit us. Especially, when she visited me, the
authorities raised three conditions to my mother. First, she must not mention
anything about my fiancé. Second, she must not mention anything related
to Falun Gong. Third, she was not allowed to bring any food or daily necessities
to me. She could only bring me some money. If she violated any of these, she
would not be allowed to visit me again. I had only one chance per six months
to meet with my family members, and my mother had to come from Tianjin to Shanghai
to visit me. Her letters to me were also intercepted and I was not allowed to
see them.”

When reporters asked her how many Falun Gong practitioners were held in her
labor camp, Li said, “All together, about a thousand Falun Gong practitioners
had been imprisoned in that labor camp. Currently, 89 practitioners of different
ages and from different backgrounds are held there.”

After Li Ying was illegally detained, rescue activities on her behalf were
carried out in several countries. Australian Foreign Minister and several Members
of Parliament expressed their concern for Ying’s imprisonment. They also
took some effective measures. This time, with the help from Australian Consuls
in Shanghai, it took Li Ying only one week to get her visa to Australia. Normally,
it would have taken 35 weeks to get the visa.

Li Ying’s younger brother, Mr. Li Liang was released from Qingbowa Labor
Camp in Tianjin City on November 19, 2003. He was arrested again on November
25. Ying’s elder sister, Ms. Li Hong is still imprisoned in Banqiao Female
Labor Camp in the City of Tianjin. Ms. Li Ying hoped that kind-hearted people
will continue to work together to end the unprecedented persecution in China.
She will also try her best to help Falun Gong practitioners who are still incarcerated,
like her sister and brother, to obtain their freedom.

Posting date: 14/Dec/2003
Original article date: 4/Dec/2003
Category: Australian News