(AFDI), Thursday, 4 September 2003 – Today Four Sydney Falun Gong practitioners will embark on a “SOS Car Tour” starting from the Chinese Consulate, in order to appeal to the kind Australians for rescuing the family members who are persecuted in China for their belief. They are planning to arrive in Melbourne on Friday, 12 September.
During the 900 km tour, the four practitioners will visit ten major towns as well as many counties with their decorated vehicle along the route.
Media is welcome for interview between 11:30am – 12:30pm Thursday of 4 September at the launch of the tour in front of the Sydney Chinese Consulate.
On June 23, 2003, Senator Andrew Bartlett launched the “Australian Family Rescue Campaign” in Canberra. He said: “The Global Family Rescue Campaign has already produced good results, which is a testimony to the commitment of people such as yourselves [who practice] a peaceful, non-political, meditation movement. I encourage you to continue your struggle, which is not just helping practitioners in China, but also on behalf of others… reinforcing the basic principles of freedom of belief, freedom of expression that all of us deserve.”
Background:
Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a practice of meditation and exercises with teachings based on the universal principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.” Since its introduction in 1992, it quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China, and is now practised in over 50 countries. Falun Dafa is not a religion. It is non political and free to practise.
With government estimates of as many as 100 million practising Falun Gong, China’s President Jiang Zemin outlawed the peaceful practice in July 1999. 772 practitioners have been verified as having been tortured to death.
