(Clearwisdom.net) On August 7, 2008, the day before the Olympic Games, Falun Gong practitioners in Sydney held a press conference in front of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, calling for the Australian government and media to pay attention to the human rights atrocities targeted at Falun Gong practitioners in China. They hope the western media will use the guide provided by the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) to investigate the torture of Falun Gong practitioners in forced labor camps. They are calling for western government officials who attend the opening ceremony to voice concern about the human rights violations against Falun Gong practitioners and help stop the brutal persecution.
Press conference calls for attention to persecution of Falun Gong
On the same day, a hearing was held in the Supreme Court of New South Wales for the case of Falun Gong practitioner Zhang Cuiying, who filed suit against former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Jiang Zemin. The trial will start officially on September 15, 2008.
The press conference attracted the attention of mainstream media because it was on the eve of the Olympic Games. Many media attended the press conference, including AAP, ABC Radio and TV, SBS Radio and TV, and NTDTV.
Ms. Kay Rubacek hosted the conference. Falun Gong spokesperson Mr. John Deller, Plaintiff Ms. Zhang Cuiying and Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Zeng Zheng, who was imprisoned in a forced labor camp in China, gave speeches condemning the escalation of persecution under the name of the Olympic Games.
Mr. Deller said the international community had hopes that the Olympic Games would help Beijing improve its human rights, but in actuality the CCP has utilized the Olympic Games to deprive citizens of their rights. To prepare for the Olympic Games, the CCP offered 500 to 3000 yuan rewards to anyone who reported Falun Gong practitioners. This wasn't new for the CCP but it is a first in Olympic history.
Deller pointed out that from December 2007 to July 7, 2008, more than 8000 Falun Gong practitioners had been arrested in 29 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. He called for foreign reporters in China, especially those in Beijing, to investigate the condition of those who are imprisoned. He expressed hope that the Australian Prime Minister would raise the issue of Falun Gong when meeting with Chinese leaders and tell them about Resolution 127, which was passed by the Senate unanimously, calling for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong.
Ms. Zhang Cuiying said it was very significant that the Supreme Court held a hearing on the day before the Olympic Games, and that it was the best gift to the Olympic Games. She said that chief perpetrator Jiang Zemin should be punished as soon as possible, and doesn't deserve immunity.
Ms. Zeng Zheng described her experience in a forced labor camp in Beijing. As a survivor of torture and hard labor, she wants to tell western society of how the CCP persecutes Falun Gong practitioners. She warned that the CCP has always attempted to deceive the world, so she suggested that western media not follow the CCP's arrangements, but use the CIPFG guide for investigation, as it is the only way go beyond the cover-ups.
Category: Rallies & Protests
