SMH: “Weapons of mass derision used to make a serious point”
By Jeff Fleischer
[…]
The tone was very different in front of the Chinese consulate, where earlier in the day impassioned speeches and a march into Chinatown highlighted the “Bring Jiang to Justice” rally.
The protesters hope to put former Chinese president Jiang Zemin on trial for alleged human rights abuses during his time in office, including persecution against political dissidents and religious groups.
Hu Jintao replaced Mr Jiang as president last year, but protesters said the former leader should be brought to trial internationally for attempted genocide, citing the prosecutions of former leaders Augusto Pinochet and Slobodan Milosevic.
Organiser David Rubacek said Australia could improve Chinese conditions by linking trade deals to human rights standards. He cited the influence of MPs and activists in the defeat of an amendment that would have weakened freedoms in Hong Kong.
October 20, 2003
Posting date: 23/Oct/2003
Original article date: 20/Oct/2003
Category: Media Report
