Dear Editor
I read with interest your article “Too strong, too real”,
on the front page of the Noosa News of Friday, 15 April 2005. Such an art exhibition,
and indeed such a terrible persecution of its own people taking place in China
today, must stir the hearts and compassion of all concerned locals.
The
title of the art exhibition “Uncompromising Courage” is a fitting description
of the Falun Gong practitioners who are being so severely persecuted, and also
describes the practitioners outside of China who are endeavouring to give this
atrocity a voice which is so harshly silenced in China. For without them we would
still be in the dark about what is going on. So let’s not criticise them for stirring
up sentiments in our hearts which we might find uncomfortable to address and let’s
not stop them from showing us the full extent of this horror by asking them to
withdraw some of the more graphic paintings, but let’s thank them for bringing
this matter to our attention and ask what can we do to help end it?
Your
article mentions how the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade and Mr Howard
are dealing with the subject of the persecution of Falun Gong and refer to DFATs
official statement, “Our approach to human rights in China is constructive
and based on dialogue rather than public confrontation”. How long can this
dialogue go on before any real action is taken? What is their idea of constructive
dialogue? China’s human rights abuses have not lessened at all with this dialogue,
they have in fact become far more brutal and widespread. Mr Howard is in China
this week and Australia is about to enter a quick-buck trade deal with a country
which massively oppresses its citizens. As an Asian neighbour shouldn’t we be
far more vocal about Beijing’s human rights abuses?
The other issue that
comes to mind on this topic and something that has only recently come to my attention
(so well has it been hidden) is that for the past three years The Australian Foreign
Minister, Mr Alexander Downer, has severely restricted the freedom of speech of
Falun Gong practitioners by not allowing them to peacefully display banners outside
the Chinese embassy in Canberra. The Australian government is the only government
in a democratic country that has restricted the peaceful Falun Gong appeals. This
was in reaction to a visit to Canberra by the Chinese Foreign Minister in 2002
who publicly requested the Australian Government to “Expel these Falun Gong
practitioners from the front of the Chinese embassy entrance in Australia and
do not bring up issues related to human rights or freedom”.
This decision
of bowing to the demands of the Chinese by Alexander Downer to limit freedom of
speech by Falun Gong practitioners reflects poorly on Australia and, in its own
way, aids this persecution.
I appreciate that your paper allows dialogue
on these issues. Perhaps we can all help one another to become more aware of the
world around us and understand what part we can play to make it a better place.
Yours
sincerely
Jane Andrews
26 April 2005
