BYLINE: Danielle Cronin
The abuse of Iraqi prisoners by their US captors in Abu Ghraid prison had
caused global outcry but the detention, torture and death of Falun Dafa
practitioners in China had meet with strange silence.
Greens MLA Kerrie Tucker made the comments yesterday when she joined with Liberal MLA Bill
Stefaniak and prominent ACT lawyer Bernard Collaery to support Falun Dafa
practitioners’ right to protest outsidethe Chinese Embassy. To mark National
Falun Dafa Day in Garema Place yesterday, practitioners and their supporters
appealed for the Federal Government to lift restrictions on the use of
protest signs outside the Chinese Embassy.Some practitioners silently
meditated and others were locked in small cells and shackled to graphically
demonstrate torturetechniques.Organisers erected barriers to shield
passers-by from the scenes after police reportedly believed the depictions
could offend.Ms Tucker said she was very ashamed that the Federal
Governmentwas restricting people’s right to protest outside the Chinese
Embassy.
Mr Collaery said the Federal Government’s restriction hung like a
“net of shame” around Foreign Affairs Minister AlexanderDowner’s neck.The
ACT lawyer is set to launch landmark legal action against the People’s
Republic of China on behalf of Australians Jane and Fadu Dai.Jane’s husband
Chengyong Chen – a Falun Dafa practitioner – was tortured to death in
Guanzhou China, Mr Collaery said.
Posting date: 23/June/2004
Original article date: 21/June/2004
Category: Media Report
