Press Statement: Seven Falun Gong Practitioners Begin a Hunger Strike in Front of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra

Beginning at 12:00 pm, August 22, 2001, a group of 7 Australian Falun Gong practitioners will begin a hunger strike in front of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra. Their hope is that this action will let Australians see a small reflection of what Falun Gong practitioners are going through in China. It is to call on the Chinese authorities to release these innocent practitioners unconditionally, and also an appeal to the Australian public: "SOS! Rescue the Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China!" These 7 practitioners were prompted to begin their hunger strike after learning about the situation in the notorious Masanjia Labour Camp, Liaoning Province, China where 130 Falun Gong practitioners are into the fourth week of a hunger strike in protest of the camp authorities' refusal to release the practitioners at the end of their terms.

These 130 practitioners should not have been put into the labour camp in the first place. Because they have refused to renounce their faith in the principles of Truth, Compassion, and Forbearance, they have been forced to endure relentless torture, abuse and coercion for many months. The Masanjia Labour Camp authorities have put forth the directive that "we would rather violate the law [than set the practitioners free]. We absolutely will not release these persons." This is part of Jiang Zemin's policy to "defame Falun Gong practitioners' reputations, break them financially, and destroy them physically."

On August 1, 2001, these 130 practitioners have chosen to call for justice with their lives, and their hunger strike is their request for the fundamental right to live with dignity.

The lives of these 130 practitioners are in danger and the situation is very urgent, but their voices can hardly be heard because the Chinese authorities have sealed off all information to the outside world.

As of August 22, 2001, at least 265 practitioners have died in custody, and the vast majority of these innocent people were tortured to death. Falun Gong practitioners worldwide are doing all that they can to raise awareness of these atrocities occurring in China.

Being Falun Gong practitioners, we treasure our lives, however, 130 practitioners' lives are at stake, we are their voice in the free world. Let their cry for justice be heard through us, so they can have a chance to live with dignity. Twenty-one days have passed for them. In this labor camp that is so notorious for its terrifying abuse of Falun Gong practitioners, we cannot imagine what they have gone through and are still going through. We call on the Chinese authorities to release these innocent practitioners unconditionally, and we again call on all governments, institutions and people of goodwill to lend their support to rescue the Falun Gong practitioners who are being viciously persecuted in China.

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