“Mr Downer: Please don’t extend the persecution of Falun Gong to Australia”
Australian
Foreign Minister, Mr Alexander Downer, has used the Vienna Convention in an unprecedented
manner regarding the Falun Gong appeals outside the Chinese Embassy, Canberra.
Australia is the only democratic country to restrict Falun Gong appeals commonly
held on a daily basis, in countries such as America, Canada and European nations
since 1999, when the persecution of Falun Gong began in China.
Since 16
March 2002, Mr Downer has interpreted any Falun Gong signage to “impair the
dignity” of the Chinese mission according to the Vienna Convention, Diplomatic
Privileges and Immunities (DPI) Regulations. Mr Downer has signed DPI certificates
every month preventing the display of any Falun Gong banners, including “Truthfulness,
Compassion, Tolerance” and “Stop the Killing”.
Mr Downer’s
decision coincided with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Tang Jiaxuan’s visit to
Canberra, who publicly requested the Australian Government to “Expel these
Falun Gong practitioners from the front of the Chinese Embassy entrance in Australia
and do not bring up issues related to human rights or freedom.”
During
the time of the restrictions, at least 1027 peaceful Chinese people, including
relatives of Australians, have been tortured to death in China – part of the largest
human rights abuse continuing in China today.
This week, a letter on behalf
of Falun Dafa practitioners in Australia has been sent to Mr Downer requesting
that the certificates be discontinued immediately. Mr Downer has also been advised
that preparations are being made for a submission to the Federal Court to resolve
this matter.
PUBLIC EVENT:
Date: Wednesday,
9 March 2005
Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
What: Press Conference
– Reenactment
of torture methods used to persecute
Falun Gong practitioners in China (ALL
DAY)
– Speeches from victims of the persecution
Location: In front of the
Department of Foreign Affairs
R.G. Casey Building John McEwan Cres Barton
ACT
Background information:
Falun
Gong is a peaceful spiritual practice of five exercises and the principles of
Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance with millions of practitioners in over
60 countries. Despite its peaceful nature, people who practise Falun Gong or those
who express support for it in China have been persecuted since July 1999. There
are 1423 verified deaths and over 30,000 documented cases of torture due to the
persecution (sources inside China put the figure as high as 10,000), while hundreds
of thousands more are missing or suffering in labour camps.
