By a practitioner in Australia
Australian Prime Minister Mr. John Howard will visit China at the end of April
and sign trade agreements between the two countries. Before his departure, Falun
Gong practitioners in Sydney held a candlelight vigil and urged Mr. Howard to
put forward the Falun Gong issue to the Chinese government during his visit. Practitioners
are requesting the Prime Minister’s help in ending the persecution in China,
and hope that he asks for the release of Falun Gong practitioners being imprisoned,
including family members of Australian citizens.
Falun Gong practitioners hold wreaths commemorating practitioners who have been
persecuted to death in China
Practitioners call for help to end the persecution
On the evening of April 14, 2005, practitioners in Sydney gathered outside a club
where the Prime Minister was to meet, and held a candlelight vigil with small
wreaths in their hands to await Prime Minister Howard’s arrival. On the wreaths
were the names or photos of practitioners tortured to death in China. Passers-by
were interested in the practitioners’ appeal. After learning about the brutal
persecution in China and the reason for the practitioner’s appeal, passers-by
were touched. Some said that they would call the Prime Minister’s office
to appeal for Falun Gong.
When the Prime Minister arrived at the club and
saw so many people peacefully awaiting his arrival, he waved to the practitioners.
The practitioners explained the facts of Falun Gong and the persecution to the
Prime Minister’s staff, security people and passers-by. Most of the practitioners
waiting outside the club had either been persecuted in China for practicing Falun
Gong, including Western practitioners who were arrested when they went to China
to appeal after the persecution began in 1999, or they had family members being
persecuted in China. A representative for the practitioners handed several open
letters to the Australian Prime Minister and to Chinese President Hu Jintao and
asked Mr. Howard to forward them during his visit. The practitioners explained
the facts of the persecution to Mr. Howard’s staff. The assistant to the
Prime Minister was touched after learning the facts and said that he would transfer
the letters to Mr. Howard. When Mr. Howard came out of the club, his assistant
stepped forward and explained the practitioners’ appeal. Prime Minister Howard
shook hands with each practitioner on site. After the Prime Minister left, a police
officer in charge of security thanked the practitioners for their cooperation
and peacefulness. He was touched because he seldom saw such a peaceful appeal
group, and he said he hoped that the practitioners’ requests will be honored.
In the letter to the Prime Minister, the practitioners expressed their hope
that Mr. Howard would put forward the issue of Falun Gong during his visit to
China. The number of practitioners tortured to death was 767 in August 2003 when
Mr. Howard last visited China. Within less than two years, the number of verified
deaths due to persecution in China has increased to 1,735, including several family
members of Australian citizens. The letter urged the Prime Minister to convey
the Australian people’s voice that the persecution must be ended.
In
their open letter to President Hu Jintao, the practitioners urged him to make
a righteous choice in this important historical moment, and to help stop the persecution
initiated by Jiang Zemin. They asked him to release all practitioners being unlawfully
imprisoned and to restore Falun Gong’s good reputation.
Reporters from
the local community newspaper, Australia ABC TV station, and NTDTV covered the
event.
Posting date: 27/Apr/2005
Original
article date: 24/Apr/2005
Category: Australian
News
