Around two hundred Australian Falun Gong practitioners gathered in front of
Parliament House on Monday 8 March to urge the Australian government to support
a motion to stop the persecution of Falun Gong in China and to raise the human
rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners in China at the UNHRC.
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Australians, Jane Dai and Zhang Cui Ying will be at Geneva to tell their experiences
of persecution for this year’s 60th session of the United Nations Commission
on Human Rights, from 15 March to 23 April 2004. Australia will be the Chair
of the Convention.
Several Falun Gong practitioners whose relatives are suffering the persecution in Mainland China gave speeches at the press conference. Ms. Lisa expressed that she just participated in a SOS Car Tour from Sydney to Canberra to rescue Australian Falun Gong practitioners’ relatives who are suffering the persecution in China. She was very sad because her sister Tang Yiwen who had been released last August after nearly three years’ of illegal detention, was abducted again this February when she applied for the visa to Australia and her whereabouts were unknown. Ms. Lisa hoped the Australian government could openly condemn the Jiang’s group’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners at the UN Human Rights Convention.
Dr. Zhang described the cruel persecution imposed upon the whole family of her elderly sister Ms. Zhang Yaping. Dr. Zhang’s sister was sentenced to seven years in prison. During her detention, she was tortured to the point that she lost her memory and consciousness and could not take care of herself. Ms. Zhang Yaping’s son was expelled from Liaoning Province’s Science and Technology University because he did not renounce Falun Gong. He was illegally sentenced to two years in prison because he explained the facts about Falun Gong to citizens in Dalian City. Dr. Zhang called upon the Australian government to pay attention and help his sister’s whole family.
Another Falun Gong practitioner told of the story of Australian citizen Dai Zhizhen’s husband who died as a result of the persecution in China for not giving up the practice of Falun Gong. Dai Zhizhen and her young daughter traveled around the world to call upon people to help stop the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
A representative of the International Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, Dr. Liu, pointed out that the organization will continue conducting an extensive investigation over all crimes against Falun Gong and related individuals and organizations, including “610 Office” of different levels; National Security Bureau, Public Security Departments, courts, labor camps, involved mental hospitals; the media that frame, fabricate and slander Falun Gong; personnel who directly or indirectly participated in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and their relatives in mental, physical and financial aspects. Dr. Liu also expressed that recently, the organization announced three investigation reports. They are about the media’s participation in the persecution of Falun Gong, Chinese officials’ illegal interference with Falun Gong practitioners’ activities in Canada and the crime of genocide committed by Jiang Zemin against Falun Gong practitioners.
Representative of the International Special Court Preparation Committee Mr. David spoke at the press conference. This preparation committee engaging in putting the persecution of Falun Gong on trial was set up in January 2004.
In the end, Australia Falun Dafa Association spokesperson John hoped that the Australian government, human rights organizations, non-governmental organizations and the whole society could pay attention and help the Falun Gong practitioners who are suffering the persecution. He called upon the Australian government to openly but not privately condemn the Jiang’s group’s brutal persecution of Falun Gong and its practitioners. John also hoped that the Australian government could propose and help pass a resolution at this year’s UN Human Rights Convention in Geneva to openly condemn the persecution of Falun Gong.
Australia is elected to be the Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Commission
in Geneva this year. Falun Gong practitioners hope that our Australian representatives
will bring the voice of many Australians and their families who have suffered
tremendously from the persecution of Falun Gong in China to the UN, and support
a resolution condemning the escalating human rights abuses in China.
3 March 2004: U.S. House of Representatives Passes Resolution H. Res. 530 urging
the Bush administration to sponsor and aggressively pursue a resolution condemning
China for its human rights abuses UNHRC. The China Resolution initiated by Congressman
Chris Smith was passed 402-2.
“…Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China launched
a brutal campaign to eradicate Falun Gong from their country;
Whereas since this time large numbers of Falun Gong practitioners have been
arrested, subjected to harsh reeducation efforts, and some have even been tortured
to death;
Whereas Falun Gong practitioners continue to report harassment and acts of violence
at the hands of foreign nationals which have occurred against them during peaceful
protests in the United States and other countries…”
Posting date: 10/Mar/2004
Original article date: 9/Mar/2004
Category: Australian News
