(Clearwisdom.net) At noon on March 8, 2004, nearly 200 Falun Gong practitioners gathered in front of Parliament House in Canberra, the capital of Australia, to hold a press conference. As the president of this year's UN Human Rights Convention
in Geneva is from Australia, Falun Gong practitioners called upon and hoped the Australian government, human rights organizations and non-governmental organizations could propose and help pass a resolution at the Human Rights Convention to condemn the persecution of Falun Gong. The specific requests included: condemn the persecution of Falun Gong, urge the Chinese government to release Falun Gong practitioners including relatives of overseas citizens in different countries, and allow the UN to send inspectors to China to conduct a third-party independent investigation without any interference, and put Jiang's criminal group on trial in an international court, return justice and morality to the people.
In front of the Parliament House, the practitioners unfolded banners that read "Congratulations Australia Chairing UNHRC," "End China's Persecution of Falun Gong" and a banner in both Chinese and English that read "Bring Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing and Zhou Yongkang to Justice." Wreaths were displayed on the lawn in front of Parliament House to commemorate practitioners who died as a result of the persecution in China. Displayed on a large wooden board was a list of several hundred names of Falun Gong practitioners who died from the persecution.
Several Falun Gong practitioners whose relatives are suffering the persecution in Mainland China gave speeches at the press conference. Ms. Lisa expressed that she just participated in a SOS Car Tour from Sydney to Canberra to rescue Australian Falun Gong practitioners' relatives who are suffering the persecution in China. She was very sad because her sister Tang Yiwen who had been released last August after nearly three years' of illegal detention, was abducted again this February when she applied for the visa to Australia and her whereabouts were unknown. Ms. Lisa hoped the Australian government could openly condemn the Jiang's group's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners at the UN Human Rights Convention.
Dr. Zhang described the cruel persecution imposed upon the whole family of her elderly sister Ms. Zhang Yaping. Dr. Zhang's sister was sentenced to seven years in prison. During her detention, she was tortured to the point that she lost her memory and consciousness and could not take care of herself. Ms. Zhang Yaping's son was expelled from Liaoning Province's Science and Technology University because he did not renounce Falun Gong. He was illegally sentenced to two years in prison because he explained the facts about Falun Gong to citizens in Dalian City. Dr. Zhang called upon the Australian government to pay attention and help his sister's whole family.
Another Falun Gong practitioner told of the story of Australian citizen Dai Zhizhen's husband who died as a result of the persecution in China for not giving up the practice of Falun Gong. Dai Zhizhen and her young daughter traveled around the world to call upon people to help stop the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
A representative of the International Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, Dr. Liu, pointed out that the organization will continue conducting an extensive investigation over all crimes against Falun Gong and related individuals and organizations, including "610 Office" of different levels; National Security Bureau, Public Security Departments, courts, labor camps, involved mental hospitals; the media that frame, fabricate and slander Falun Gong; personnel who directly or indirectly participated in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and their relatives in mental, physical and financial aspects. Dr. Liu also expressed that recently, the organization announced three investigation reports. They are about the media's participation in the persecution of Falun Gong, Chinese officials' illegal interference with Falun Gong practitioners' activities in Canada and the crime of genocide committed by Jiang Zemin against Falun Gong practitioners.
Representative of the International Special Court Preparation Committee Mr. David spoke at the press conference. This preparation committee engaging in putting the persecution of Falun Gong on trial was set up in January 2004.
In the end, Australia Falun Dafa Association spokesperson John hoped that the Australian government, human rights organizations, non-governmental organizations and the whole society could pay attention and help the Falun Gong practitioners who are suffering the persecution. He called upon the Australian government to openly but not privately condemn the Jiang's group's brutal persecution of Falun Gong and its practitioners. John also hoped that the Australian government could propose and help pass a resolution at this year's UN Human Rights Convention in Geneva to openly condemn the persecution of Falun Gong.
In order to call upon the Australian government to propose a resolution, in a few weeks, Australian Falun Gong practitioners have collected a large number of signatures in all states and held many true clarification activities. The practitioners felt widespread sympathy and support for Falun Gong practitioners in China from Australian citizens from all walks of life.
After the press conference, some practitioners performed the peaceful exercises and appeal in front of Parliament House. The peaceful and harmonious scene of large-scale gathering amazed visitors and people passing by. Many people
came up to the practitioners to ask for more information about Falun Gong and the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. People who knew the truth took their initiatives to sign and ask for related materials.
The activity concluded at around 3:00p.m. Some practitioners then went to the Chinese Embassy in Canberra to hold a peaceful appeal.
Category: April 25 Events
