New Zealand Falun Gong Practitioners Hold Hunger Strike (Continued) (Photos)

(Clearwisdom.net)

Chairman of Amnesty International New Zealand, Mr. Ced Simpson	Green Party Senator, Mr. Keith Locke	United Party Senator, Ms. Philida Bunkle

In order to call on the New Zealand government to pay attention to Jiang regime's escalating persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, and Jiang's recent order of "kill without pardon," New Zealand practitioners held a three-day hunger strike appeal from April 16, 2002.

Nineteen practitioners participated in the hunger strike, including 4 practitioners of over 60 years of age. The practitioners held banners reading, "399 Falun Gong Practitioners Were Persecuted to Death" and "Stop the Killing in China," which aroused attention and support from the members of parliament and passersby. The appeal activity started on April 16 in front of the Parliament building in Wellington and ended on April 18, 2002 with a press conference. Over 30 practitioners attended the conference.

At the same time, some practitioners went to the Chinese Embassy to send forth righteous thoughts together with practitioners worldwide to eliminate the evil. Many passersby accepted our flyers, including tourist groups from China. Cars passing-by honked their horns to express support for the practitioners. After 5:00 p.m. in each afternoon of the three days, all the practitioners gathered in front of the Chinese Embassy and sent forth righteous thoughts.

Mr. Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs reiterated in his letter to Ms. Pylama, the contact person for this hunger strike, that the New Zealand government including himself and the Prime Minister paid attention to human right issue of Jiang's government in treating Falun Gong practitioners. He recounted that he made a speech in a meeting of Amnesty International to demand the end of persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China. During the most recent visit of the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Goff handed over the protest letter of New Zealand Falun Gong practitioners.

United Party Senator, Ms. Philida Bunkle and Green Party Senator, Mr. Keith Locke attended the press conference and expressed their admiration to those practitioners participating in the appeal for obtaining attention to the Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Chairman of Amnesty International New Zealand, Mr. Ced Simpson, expressed his serious concern for the deteriorating conditions of Falun Gong practitioners in China and called on all circles of New Zealand to demand Jiang's regime to stop the persecution on the basis of international law obligations.

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