Australia: Falun Gong Practitioners Rally in front of Chinese Consulate and Call on China to End the Persecution of Falun Gong (Photo)

(Clearwisdom.net, March 24, 2004) On the evening of March 22, about 100 Falun Gong practitioners in Sydney held a press conference in front of Chinese Consulate to call on the Australian Government and public to pay closer attention and help Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted in China. They also strongly demanded for China to immediately end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. In addition, they repeated their request to the Australian Government, human rights organizations and non-governmental organizations to sponsor and help to pass a resolution condemning China's persecution of Falun Gong during the annual session of UN Human Rights Commission, which is now in progress in Geneva. Falun Gong practitioners displayed a "Commemorate Falun Gong Practitioners Who Have Been Persecuted to Death" banner (in both English and Chinese) to alert the public's attention to the difficult situation of Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted in China.

Spokesman of Australia New South Wales Falun Dafa Association John said, while the annual session of the UN Human Rights Commission is being held in Geneva, another 23 Falun Gong practitioners have been persecuted to death in just 5 weeks and this has raised the death toll to 914. He also announced the names of these 23 practitioners during the press conference.

John reaffirmed that Jiang had been sued in more than 10 countries around the world for genocide of Falun Gong practitioners. At the same time, he also requested the Chinese Authority to bring Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing and Zhou Yongkang to Justice. Participants of the press conference stood in silent tribute to those Falun Gong practitioners who have been persecuted to death. After the press conference, Falun Gong practitioners held a candle vigil.

Several Falun Gong practitioners who participated in Geneva Falun Gong activities during the annual meeting of UN Human Rights Commission accepted interviews.

Through appealing to people from all circles during the annual meeting of UN Human Rights Commission and with the help from Australian Government and media, Lisa's younger sister Tong Yiwen who was illegally abducted again in Guangzhou was finally released. Lisa said that there are still vast amount of Falun Gong practitioners who are being illegally tortured and persecuted in Mainland China. The Senate of Australia recently passed motion 704 regarding rescue Australian Falun Gong practitioners' relatives persecuted in China. Lisa hopes that Australian Government can sponsor and help pass a resolution to publicly condemn Jiang regime's persecution of Falun Gong, bring it to international tribunal and return justice to public.

Lisa also talked about her Geneva trip. On her first day in Geneva, she heard that her sister Tang Yiwen was on a hunger strike to protest the illegal abduction and her life was in a critical condition. On the second day, she presented a letter about her sister and other Falun Gong practitioners suffering from persecution to the Australian ambassador who has been selected as chairman of UN Human Right Commission, she also visited UN Human Rights Office and more than 30 media. While clarifying the truth of the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, she also called for help for practitioners, like her sister, who are being persecuted. On the very night of that day, she called China and learned that her sister Tang Yiwen was released. Practitioners in Geneva coming from all over the world were all greatly encouraged and touched by this good news.

Li Ying was rescued to Australia with the help of Australian Government. She said that she participated in this candle vigil with a very heavy heart. Seeing the candlelight flicking in the cold wind, she thought about the death of more than one hundred practitioners in just a few months. She said that Jiang regime must be held accountable for this. Li Ying call on the public to pay closer attention and help innocent Falun Gong practitioners. Li Ying's younger brother Li Liang and elder sister Li Hong are still being detained in forced labor camps for practicing Falun Gong. Li Ying pointed out that Jiang is trying to cover its brutal persecution of Falun Gong in order to deceive Chinese people and people around the world, and the purpose of her trip to Geneva was to let governments of all nations, human rights organizations, non-governmental organizations and more everyday people to understand the real story of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and thus extend their help to Falun Gong practitioners.

In the interview, Mr. Yan said that his elderly mother Li Fuying was illegally detained twice and severely tortured before she eventually fled to Australia. His sister Yan Haiyu had been arrested and detained four times and was subject to torture, she now has no other choices but leave home in fear of illegal arrests. In the past several years, Mr. Yan and her 77-year-old mother have taken all opportunities to clarify truth about Falun Gong and the persecution to all circles. During the annual session of UN Human Rights Commission, as victims and witnesses, he and his mother participated in Falun Gong truth-clarifying events and press conferences in Geneva and called on all kind-hearted people around the world and governments of all nations to help end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners immediately.

The candle vigil concluded around 9pm.
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/3/24/70747.html

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