PETITION
TO THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ASSEMBLED
IN PARLIAMENT:
The petition of certain citizens and residents of Australia draws to the attention
of the House that:
a) Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) – a practice of meditation and exercises
with teachings based on the universal principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance”,
practised in over 60 countries world-wide and having roots in traditional Chinese
culture – has been subject to a systematic campaign of eradication in China
since July 1999;
b) The Falun Dafa Information Center has verified details of 890 deaths (as
at 25/2/2004) since the persecution of Falun Gong in China began in 1999. In
October 2001, however, Government officials inside China reported that the actual
death toll was well over 1,600. Expert sources now estimate that figure to be
much higher. Hundreds of thousands have been detained, with more than 100,000
being sentenced to forced labour camps, typically without trial;
c) The implementation of this policy of eradication violates the Constitution
of the People’s Republic of China, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which China has signed,
the Convention Against Torture and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment
of the Crime of Genocide, both of which China has signed and ratified; and
d) Australia is the elected Chair of the United Nations Commission on Human
Rights for 2004 and the Commission will convene on 15 March 2004.
YOUR PETITIONERS THEREFORE REQUEST THE HOUSE TO INITIATE A RESOLUTION TO CONDEMN
CHINA’S PERSECUTION OF FALUN GONG AT THE
UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND REQUEST CHINA TO:
I. UNCONDITONALLY RELEASE ALL FALUN GONG PRACTITIONERS IMPRISONED FOR THEIR
SPIRITUAL BELIEFS, INCLUDING THOSE FAMILY MEMBERS OF AUSTRALIAN CITIZENS AND
RESIDENTS CURRENTLY DETAINED;
II. ALLOW UNRESTRICTED ACCESS INTO CHINA TO THE UNITED NATIONS RAPPORTEUR ON
TORTURE IN ORDER TO CARRY OUT INDEPENDENT, THIRD-PARTY INVESTIGATIONS ON THE
PERSECUTION OF FALUN GONG PRACTITIONERS.
