February 18, 2003, Tuesday

A MEDITATION group outlawed by the Chinese government was banned from performing at Penrith Council's Australia Day celebrations last month.

The Falun Dafa are an exercise and meditation group who had performed at the three previous Penrith Australia Day celebrations.

Member Julie Chan has been a resident of Penrith for the past 11 years and she has practised Falun Dafa for five years. She said the group applied to have a stall where they would have a photography exhibition and hand out leaflets about the practice. They would also perform during the day.

After putting in an expression of interest, Ms Chan said she was told by Sydney International Regatta Centre staff that the Penrith Australia Day Organization Committee had vetoed their request.

"They refused to let us participate, they told me it was because of littering, but they are not quite sure," Ms Chan said.

"They never gave me a formal reason written down." Penrith Council spokeswoman Amanda Kane said [...].

But Ms Chan said she had never been told of the condition not to hand out pamphlets on Australia Day and they had been allowed to do so for the last three years.

In 2000, the then-mayor David Bradbury presented the group with a "certificate of appreciation" for bringing the practice to Penrith. Ms Chan said she feared the committee was under pressure from the Chinese consulate to refuse the practice of Falun Dafa on the day. Falun Dafa was banned in China in 1999. About 100 million Chinese practiced the exercise and meditation at the time.

"We are just like Tai Chi or yoga," Ms Chan said.