Sydney: Grand Anti-Terrorism Parade Protests against Shooting Incident in South Africa(Photos)

Sydney Falun Dafa Practitioner

Several hundred Australians in smart casual clothing gathered outside the Prime
Minister’s house on Sunday to request a full investigation into the recent shooting
of nine Australian Falun Gong practitioners in South Africa.

The participants
walked through the Central Business District and over the Harbour Bridge to Kirribilli
House, where they neatly lined up on the opposite footpath. Policemen on duty
accepted flowers and letters to Australian Prime Minister Mr John Howard.

Photo
taken and provided by AFP

The first person to
hand over his letter was David Liang, confined to a wheelchair with bullet wounds
to both feet. A car had drawn parallel with his while travelling at 120kmh en-route
from Johannesburg airport to Pretoria, South Africa, and fired upon his vehicle
with an AK-47 rifle.

David and eight other Australian Falun Gong practitioners
had come to South Africa during the visit of two high-level Chinese government
officials, Chinese Vice-President Zeng Qinghong, and Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai,
who have both played a major role in the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China.
The Australians went with the intention of holding peaceful appeals against the
human rights atrocities committed by these two officials, and also to look into
helping local South African practitioners initiate a lawsuit against the officials
for Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity.

Falun Gong practitioners believe
the shooting was orchestrated by these two government officials. Given the circumstances
surrounding the shooting, the litany of atrocities committed by Bo and Zeng in
their home country, plus the many cases of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners
being extended beyond China’s borders, it is a rational conclusion to draw.

The
gathering outside Mr Howard’s residence lasted one hour. Police from the North
Sydney police station later told reporters they were very impressed with the peaceful
and orderly behaviour of the participants.

Several hours after the appeal,
speeches were made at Town Hall Square, in Sydney’s Central Business District.
Organisations present included the Australian Falun Dafa Association, the Federation
for a Democratic China, the World Organisation to Investigate the Persecution
of Falun Gong, the Global Campaign Against State Terrorism, and the Global Coaltition
to Bring Jiang to Justice. Topics ranged from the Chinese government’s coverup
of SARS to uncompensated house evictions in China, to the persecution of religious
groups, Falun Gong practitioners, democracy activists, and many more individuals.

“I hope Australians to do a through investigation, to find out who’s
done this,” said David Liang in a brief speech. “And bring justice,
because Australian’s policy is against terrorists, and this incident is terrorism. So hopefully
no one else like me gets shot again.”

John Deller from the Australian
Falun Dafa Association said, “…in 1999, in July, the former Chinese leader,
Jiang Zemin, began this persecution to eliminate the practice of Falun Gong in
China. Now why would he do that when Falun Gong is good for people? It just elevates
people’s spiritual qualities. We try to be good and better people. That’s the
tragedy, and that’s what’s lead to the situation you see here today, examples
of torture, David’s personal testimony of being shot in South Africa, while he’s
there trying to do a noble thing, trying to speak up for justice which is not
possible in China.”

“Please understand what is happening here,”
said Mr Deller. “An extension of the terrorist activity organised by Jiang
Zemin, Zeng Qinghong, the Vice-President of China who was in South Africa, Bo
Xilai, Commerce Minister, these are all Jiang Zemin’s cohorts, in a sub-faction
in the government.”

Following the speeches, the participants quietly
paraded down the footpath to Chinatown, carrying banners, and repeated the speeches
in Dixon Street.