22nd November 2005
Re: Deportation of Mr and Mrs Li and Persecution of Falun Gong
We are writing to you with regards to Falun Gong practitioners being refused asylum in Australia and their imminent deportation back to China. In particular the cases of Mr and Mrs Li (File number CLF 2001/044312, client ID 898 430 108 51) and Mr Tang Xianhui (File number N02/06781). We previously wrote to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Senator the Hon Amanda Vanstone regarding Melbourne resident Mr Tang’s case but it seems the seriousness of the persecution of Falun Gong in China is not fully appreciated. We therefore ask for a moment of your time to explain to you more about the persecution and request your help to raise this issue in Parliament.
We came to Australia from the UK in 2003 for my wife to study for a postdoctoral degree. It was here in Australia that we first came across Falun Gong. After learning the exercises and more about its philosophy, its simple principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance have now become integral parts of our lives. At first we also found it difficult to understand why the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would want to persecute its own peaceful citizens in such a cruel and extreme way until we found out more about the history of the CCP. It has a legacy of cold-blooded murder. 80 million of its innocent citizens died in various campaigns, the most notorious being the ‘Cultural Revolution’ all in the name of ‘political stability’, and it seems that Falun Gong practitioners are its latest victims. It was most disappointing to hear at a luncheon we attended in Melbourne in June of this year, Madame Fu Ying, the Chinese Ambassador to Australia, still talked of ‘political stability’ coming before human rights.
Any practitioner that is deported to China is in immediate danger of arrest, detention and torture. Hundreds of thousands of practitioners are detained in prisons, mental hospitals and labour camps and are suffering very poor treatment. It is estimated that almost a quarter of a million children have become orphans as a result of the persecution. 2747 practitioners are so far reported to have died as a result of torture or slave labour, but this is feared to be only the tip of the iceberg. Earlier this year the German government deported Mr Jiang Renzheng and his wife Guo Rui believing him to be safe from persecution as he was not a ‘leader’. This seems to be a common misconception amongst government officials – there are no leaders in Falun Dafa, everyone is equal and independent, and all practitioners are certainly treated the same way by the CCP. Mr Jiang is currently serving a three year sentence in a forced labour camp, which he was sent to without trial, and the German government, having realised their mistake are now appealing for his release. We hope that others can learn from this so that more practitioners do not suffer in the same way.
The persecution has been happening now for six years. During that time practitioners have peacefully appealed everyday outside Chinese consulates and embassies around the world for an end to the torture and killing. We ourselves have taken part in candle-light vigils outside the consulate in Melbourne on a number of occasions. We are therefore saddened by the unprecedented actions of Foreign Minister Alexander Downer who has been signing a certificate each month since the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan in March 2002 to prevent banners with slogans like “Stop Torture” and “Stop Killing” from being displayed in front of Canberra’s Chinese Embassy. Australia is the only democratic country to have issued these certificates limiting such peaceful appeal for fear of impairing the dignity of the foreign mission. The certificates not only curtail our right to peaceful protest but also aid the CCP in its attempts to suppress Falun Gong. We do not wish to damage Australia’s growing trade relationships with China, but there comes a time when a choice must be made between supporting what is right and turning a blind eye for personal gain.
This letter is being sent to all Victorian Federal MPs. We ask that you join together to express your concerns to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, to prevent the deportation of practitioners and stop the issuing of the certificates. It is our hope that we can work together to help end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners both in China and Australia. Thank you very much for your time. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely
Trevor and Katarzyna Piper
