Wednesday 23rd November 2005
Re: Urgent request for reassurance of support for basic human rights and civil liberties
I wish to bring to your attention the urgent cases of three Falun Gong practitioners in Australia who are facing torture and persecution if deported to China. Mr and Mrs Li Yishu (file number: CLF 2001/044312, client ID 898 430 108 51) and Mr. Tang Xianhui (file number: N02/06781) are all facing deportation within weeks. I am deeply concerned that despite credible third-party reports verifying the gross human rights abuses against Falun Gong practitioners continuing at a staggering level now for over six years, and reported cases of Falun Gong practitioners deported to China from Germany being immediately persecuted upon arrival, Mr and Mrs Li and Mr Tang are still facing imminent deportation to persecution in China.
Over the past few years I have been involved in collecting petitions in relation to stopping the persecution in China and well over 140,000 signatures have been collected from the general public and tabled in Parliament, yet as highlighted by statements this year by former Chinese official, Chen Yonglin and the recent Senate Committee Report Opportunities and challenges: Australia’s relationship with China, Nov 10, 2005, very few voices from the Australian government are giving reassurance to the Australian public that the Australian government believes that human rights matter for Chinese people, particularly Falun Gong practitioners who are severely discriminated against both in China and in Australia.
The findings of the recent Senate Report showed that “Australia and China are not taking advantage of the human rights dialogue to promote the protection of human rights,” and “when it comes to Chinese actions against people resident in Australia, such as the surveillance of Falun Gong practitioners, the committee believes that the government is duty bound to take an unequivocal stand in defence of individual rights,” and that the government should assure the public that any allegations of this sort will be investigated and the findings made public.
Every month, Mr Alexander Downer chooses to sign a certificate restricting the Falun Gong peaceful appeal in front of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra in what seems to be a ‘preventative measure’, yet is arguably the most severe case of discrimination against Falun Gong in Australia. Even though widely reported this year after the defection of former Chinese officials Chen Yonglin and Hao Fengjun, the harassment and discrimination towards Australian Falun Gong practitioners and supporters, including Anglo-Australians, such as myself, have continued for over six years to this day – and this is not limited to the Australian-Chinese community alone, which is itself heavily sponsored by and very fearful of repercussions from the Chinese communist regime if any support or care towards Falun Gong is shown.
Although innocent people are being tortured and murdered for practicing the benign Qigong/self-improvement practice as you read this letter, the lives of Mr and Mrs Li and Mr Tang can be immediately saved. I believe that the Australian people sincerely seek public reassurance from the Australian government about our county’s position on human rights in China and hope that your open support for these cases will also reassure the Australian public that our country:
DOES care about the welfare of the people of our third-largest trading partner and the world’s most populous nation, China; DOES believe human rights should be respected around the world and DOES believe that people should be able to practice their own beliefs free from torture, persecution and discrimination in both China and Australia.
I sincerely thank you for your attention to this urgent matter at this time and for your support in the past, either in a vocal or non-vocal manner.
Yours sincerely,
Kay Rubacek
