Australia: Motion No. 704 Passed in Australian Senate to Rescue the Family Members of Australians

On December 1, 2003, motion no. 704 was passed in the Australian senate, which indicated Australia's commitment to supporting the close relatives of Australian citizens who are detained on the basis that they practise Falun Gong, and calls on the Australian Government to raise the issue in the context of the human rights dialogue. About 200 Falun Gong practitioners from all over the country gathered in front of the parliament house in Canberra to support senate's discussion of this motion, and to extend gratitude to the Australian government and the public for their effort.

On the afternoon of December 1, motion no. 704 initiated by Senator Stott Despoja, Australian Democrats' Foreign Affairs spokesperson, at the Australian Senate about the relatives of Australian citizens who are being persecuted for practicing Falun Gong, was passed at Senate in the Parliament House in Canberra.

The following is the text of the motion:

"That the Senate—

(a) notes that:
(i) close relatives of Australian citizens are currently being detained by the People's Republic of China on the basis that they practice Falun Gong, and
(ii) the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights applies to the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners worldwide;

(b) expresses its support for an open and effective human rights dialogue between Australia and the People's Republic of China;

(c) calls on the Australian Government, in the context of the human rights dialogue, to:
(i) raise the issue of the continued detention of Falun Gong practitioners with close family ties to Australia, and
(ii) emphasise that the practise of religion should not form the basis of the incarceration of any individual; and

(d) reaffirms its commitment to freedom of belief within Australia and recognises the freedom of Australians to practise Falun Gong without fear of harassment."

On the day when the motion was passed, about 200 Falun Gong practitioners from all over the country gathered in front of the parliament house in Canberra, handed in 21,700 signatures from the Australian public who signed the petition to support the motion of rescuing the family members of Australians, and to support the senate's discussion about this motion. While expressing the appreciation to the Australian government, members of the parliament, non government organizations and the public for their effort in helping rescue Ms. Li Ying, the fiancée of Australian citizen Li Qizhong, they also extended condolences to Ouyang Ming, the younger brother of Australian citizen Ouyang Yu. Democratic leader Andrew Bartlett, Chairman of the Federation for a Democratic China, Mr. Qin Jin, and Secretary of Chinese Labour Party Australian Branch, Mr. Ruan Jie all gave speeches.

Since the persecution of Falun Gong in July 1999, it is known that 26 family members of Australians have been sent to forced labour education, imprisoned or even tortured to death for practicing Falun Gong. The related details have been made public internationally. Among them three practitioners have died (including the younger brother of Australian citizen Ouyang Yu, Ouyang Ming, who was tortured to death in August in China), eight are still being illegally detained, and seven have been released due to the support of the Australian public and the government (include Ms. Li Ying, who is the fiancée of Australian citizen Li Qizhong, who has been illegally imprisoned in Shanghai Qingsong Women's Forced Labour Camp, was recently released and arrived in Sydney on November 29).

Falun Dafa spokesperson in Australia, John Deller welcomed the senate motion. "While Ouyang Ming, the brother of Australian citizen Ouyang Yu, has died, Li Ying, the fiancée of Australian citizen Cheezong Lee, has been successfully rescued. Although their cases are similar, the results are very different. This sends a strong message to the Australian society, that in the case of Falun Gong, talks behind closed doors didn't and don't work." John Deller said, "Since 2001 at bilateral Australia-China Human Rights Dialogues, Ouyang Ming's name was included four times in lists of family members that the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade presented to the Chinese government, including the most recent dialogue in July this year. However, nothing happened, and Ming died in August this year from unspeakable torture methods in a labour camp. For the other case when Li Ying was detained in a labour camp, outside and international concerns and support, including letters, postcards, and phone calls, reached where Li Ying was detained, so she didn't suffer much of those tortures that other practitioners suffered. And she is free today." He further said, "This clearly demonstrates that international support, no matter where it is from or how little it might seem, does help and work, and may create an effect you didn't think of."

Australian Democrats' Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Senator Stott Despoja indicated, "The Democrats appreciate the importance of the relationship between the Australian Government and the Chinese Government, however, we should never sacrifice human rights issues for trade opportunities." She said, "Australia's relationship with China, while significant, must be qualified by our firm opposition to any conduct which violates fundamental human rights. The Democrats will continue to highlight human rights abuses in China, in particular the persecution and killings of Falun Gong practitioners."

Despoja further indicated, "The stories of murder, torture and imprisonment of Falun Gong practitioners are truly horrifying. Many Australian citizens have relatives in China who are being subjected to such persecution and it would be wrong not to use the Parliament to speak out on their behalf and highlight their situation.

In the end, she said, "Motions, such as that passed by the Senate today [December 1], not only send a message to the Chinese Government but also to the Falun Gong community in Australia - that their struggle is recognized and supported."