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Melbourne Rally Condemns Chinese Communist Party's Crimes of Organ Harvesting (Photos)

July 28, 2006 |   By a Melbourne Falun Dafa practitioner

(Clearwisdom.net) The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong has lasted seven years. After the independent investigation report confirmed the allegations about the CCP atrocity of harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, more and more governments and people have expressed their concern.

On July 23, 2006, Freedom China of Melbourne, Australia organized a rally on Federal Plaza entitled, "Call on Conscience, Focus on Basic Human Rights." The president of Freedom China, Mr. Michael Anderson hosted the rally. A representative of Victoria Province, the City Mayor, democracy advocates, the Falun Dafa Association of Victoria Province and representatives from many other organization gave speeches at the rally. There was also a photo exhibition and a re-enactment of the organ harvesting from living persons. The largest local newspaper and local TV stations reported the event.


Freedom China organizes a rally on Federal Plaza, Melbourne on July 23, 2006


A photographer from a local newspaper is taking pictures

People sign their names to support Falun Gong, and ask for truth-clarification materials

People ask for more details about the persecution

Spokesperson of CIPFG: "This is not just about Falun Gong. It is about everyone"


Spokesperson Mr. Xiao Zhonghua from CIPFG Australia giving a speech

A spokesperson for the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, Australia Branch, Mr. Xiao Zhonghua, gave a speech at the rally. He said that David Matas, international human rights lawyer, and David Kilgour, former Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) for Canada formed an independent investigation team and released their report to the media on July 6, 2006. Mr. Matas said that this was a new form of evil never before seen on this planet. In the report, they concluded, "Based on what we now know, we have come to the regrettable conclusion that the allegations are true. We believe that there has been and continues today to be large-scale organ seizures from unwilling Falun Gong practitioners."

Xiao asked, "Facing such an evil, attendees of the rally, people passing by, what shall we do? This is not just about Falun Gong. It is about everyone. This is a moral choice every one of us must make. Are we going to keep silent and continue our daily life? Or do we follow our conscience and make our contributions to change it. At least you can write letter to your representative in Parliament, write letters to the local media and organize a forum to let more people know about it. There is one person in Melbourne who wrote a letter to a local newspaper. A reporter interviewed local Falun Gong practitioners and wrote a detailed report. The newspaper has a circulation of 50,000 thus there had to be about 50,000 people who learned truth. This started from one person's letter."

Spokesperson of Green Party Refugee Affairs: "Australia must start an independent investigation"


Spokesperson Peter Job of Refugee Affairs from Green Party

Peter Job of Refugee Affairs from the Green Party cited a sentence from senator Bob Brown, leader of the Green Party, "Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Donald ought to start an independent investigation on claims of China's political prisoners' being killed to provide organs for the world organ transplant market."

Job said that separating trade from China's human rights was totally wrong. It was kowtowing to Chinese Communist Party. It is not acceptable to kowtow to a dictatorship that is violating human rights. It is a shame to allow a leader from a dictatorship that is mercilessly killing political prisoners, Falun Gong practitioners, Catholics and other dissidents, to speak at the Parliament of Australia.

Representative of Victoria Province: "The murders are happening in China"


Representative of Victoria Province, Mr. Victor Perton addressing the rally

Representative of Victoria Province, Victor Perton is a descendant of Latvia whose father and grandfather were persecuted and killed by the Communist Party. He said that the Australians protested when an Australian young man was sentenced to death in Singapore. Now the crime of harvesting organs from living people to sell for profit is happening in China. He called on the people who were enjoying their vacations and enjoying freedom to look in this direction to see the Falun Gong practitioners' re-enactment of the CCP's brutal organ harvesting practice. During his emotional speech, more and more people on the square came to the rally.

President of National Civic Council: "Invite the Canadian Investigation Group to visit Australia"

A representative from the National Civic Council, Mr. Peter Westmore read a statement. He said the council was sympathetic to Falun Gong practitioners' tribulation in China. China has become a country with the most organ transplants in the world. The Chinese government is killing its own people for money. Australia has the responsibility to stop this. He believes that China will change under the pressure from the world. He has invited the two independent investigators from Canada to testify in Australia.

Mayor of Maribyrnong: "The Canada report is very convincing"


Mayor of Maribyrnong Ms. Jana Rice is speaking at the rally

The Mayor of Maribyrnong, Ms. Jana Rice, said that after she read the independent investigation report from David Kilgour and David Matas about the CCP harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, she immediately wrote a letter to Prime Minister Howard. She said the report is very convincing and the facts are shocking. People in China are jailed for their belief or political reasons and their organs are harvested unwillingly. But Minister of Foreign Affairs Downer said he can do nothing in this matter. Rice believed she has the responsibility to tell the Chinese government that they can't treat Chinese citizens like this. Rice urges people to act and to help more people know about this situation.

Ruan Jie: "End the Communist Party's Tyranny"


Ruan Jie, Deputy General Secretary of China Political Parties League, addressing the rally

Other speakers at the rally included former Chinese Consulate official Chen Yonglin, former policeman in Beijing and democracy advocate Sun Liyong, Australian Tibet Council representative Huw Slater, Liberal Jurist Yuan Hongbin and General Secretary of China Democratic Melbourne League, Zhang Weiqiang. They called for close attention to China's deteriorating human rights situation.

Brian is a resident of east Melbourne. He attended the entire rally. He said, "Every weekend, I see Falun Gong practitioners doing exercises under a tree in the park facing my house. That is a beautiful and peaceful scene. One day, I read a report about how Falun Gong practitioners are persecuted in China. I was very upset. I talked to them and expressed my support and sympathy. I heard about the rally supporting Falun Gong today so I came."

Mr. Pan is from China. He shook his head and said, "As for harvesting organs, it is a sure thing in mainland China. Some Chinese said they didn't believe it. I think they actually dare not to say they believe or they have never lived in mainland China. How can a Chinese from mainland China not know about [the crimes of the] Chinese Communist Party? I think they are so scared by the CCP, they dare not speak the truth."