Jun 26, 2005

Chen Yonglin, the former Chinese diplomat who recently defected to Australia from China.(Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The Australian Senate has passed a motion calling on the Federal Government to thoroughly investigate allegations that the Chinese Government is closely monitoring the activities of Falun Gong practitioners in Australia.

The Epoch Times was unable to ascertain whether or not the Liberal Party supported the motion, raised by Democrats Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja, with Labor and Greens support ensuring it was passed.

Addressing a large group of Falun Gong practitioners on the lawn outside Parliament House, Senator Stott-Despoja was joined by Greens Senator Kerry Nettle in saying the Australian Government was at risk of putting profits and trade before human rights in its dealings with the Chinese Communist Party.

"We recognize that in recent weeks...the allegations raised by [Chinese defectors] Mr. Chen and Mr. Hao have highlighted once again serious issues involving human rights abuses in China," Senator Stott-Despoja said.

"...we would have thought that the opportunity to investigate the allegations made by Mr. Chen and Mr. Hao and others would be a priority for this government...We're very disappointed the Australian Government hasn't paid more attention to these issues, hasn't responded to them with alacrity, as indeed they should."

"We acknowledge too that Falun Gong practitioners are not the only people who are suffering as a consequence of China's poor record on human rights. Tibetan monks, Christians, also suffer at the hands of the Chinese Government and officials."

Senator Stott-Despoja also drew attention to the restrictions ordered by the Federal Government on protest outside the Canberra Chinese Embassy in banning Falun Gong banners and signage outside the mission.

"We know that it's quite ironic that here you're able to protest in a peaceful fashion, yet if you were to go a few streets down the road outside the Chinese Embassy you could be arrested, and we believe that is shameful..."

Chinese defector Chen Yonglin has revealed publicly the CCP's policy against Falun Gong in Australia, "Oppose them [Falun Gong practitioners] on all fronts, launch an attack on one's own initiative, strive for support [of the Australian Government], win sympathy [from the Australian public]."

A recent survey of 375 Australian Falun Gong practitioners by the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG) found that 80.5 percent of the respondents had experienced harassment in Australia, including verbal abuse, harassing phone calls, property stolen or vandalized and residences broken into and/or ransacked.

95.7 per cent of the respondents believed that Chinese Embassy staff have actively spread hatred against Falun Gong in the Australian society.

http://english.epochtimes.com/news/5-6-26/29690.html