By Karen Hart
The Falun Dafa meditation group is not planning to gatecrash Melbourne’s
Moomba Parade tomorrow despite losing a legal bid to join in the annual
event.
But the group, which has been banned in China since 1999 and claims to have
had more than 500 members killed for their beliefs, is planning to take
further legal action on Melbourne City Council’s decision, spokesperson
Caterina Vereshaka said today.
Last week, the group approached the Victorian Civil and Administrative
Tribunal (VCAT) to have the ban overturned on the grounds the group was a
victim of political discrimination.
But Falun Dafa’s argument that the bar breached the Equal Opportunity Act
failed on a technicality, VCAT decided.
Speaking from a practice parade today to showcase the float they prepared
for Moomba, Ms Vereshaka said months of hard work had been wasted.
“We have spent more than $10,000 preparing for Moomba and months of work to
prepare our float and the people of Melbourne will now miss out on that,”
she said.
“Moomba is a multicultural event and we are a truly multicultural group. We
have members from 24 countries and that is why today we are showcasing our
entry so the public can enjoy it.”
She said the group would not use the parade to make any political statements
and would just accept the council’s decision.
In a debate at a Melbourne City Council meeting earlier this year, the Lord
Mayor John So said Falun Dafa were seen as divisive in some sections of the
community and the decision not to let them enter the parade was taken
because of their political associations.
For the past three years, Falun Dafa has been battling to be included in the
annual Chinese New Year celebrations in Melbourne.
In February the Federation of Chinese Associations agreed to let them take
part until 2008, after VCAT ruled they must resolve the issue.
Falun Dafa will parade their Moomba entry at the Williamstown Lantern
Festival on March 22 to 23.
Melbourne City Council’s Deputy Lord Mayor Susan Riley today said the
council noted VCAT’s decision.
Posting date: 11/Mar/2003
Original article date: 10/Mar/2003
Category: Media Reports
