Australia: Anti-Torture Exhibition Held in Bankstown to Support Lawsuit against Jiang

On January 13 and 14, 2005, Falun Gong practitioners from Australia held a two-day anti-torture exhibition in the Art Museum in Bankstown, where Falun Gong practitioner, Chinese artist Ms. Zhang Cuiying, resides. On September 15, 2004, the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australia accepted Ms. Zhang's lawsuit against Jiang Zemin and the 610 Office for "torture, genocide and crimes against humanity." The court issued a subpoena to the two defendants. The court originally planned to bring the complaints on December 10, 2004 and subpoena two defendants and plaintiffs to appear in court. The two defendants did not show up. The court decided to bring the lawsuit again this February and notified both plaintiffs and defendants to appear in court.

Reenactment of torture methods used against Falun Gong practitioners in China

In order to allow more people to learn about the various crimes committed in Jiang's persecution of Falun Gong and to support Ms. Zhang's lawsuit, local Falun Gong practitioners held an anti-torture exhibition in the Art Museum in Bankstown. Ms. Zhang and several other practitioners who had been tortured in China's jails or labour camps personally demonstrated the tortures that they were subjected to in China. Practitioners also distributed truth-clarifying materials to spectators and passers-by to expose the persecution and introduce the lawsuit against Jiang. Practitioners played the introductory video programs, "The Real story of Falun Gong" and "Three Ladies." In addition, practitioners held a signature drive to demand the Chinese government to release all illegally-imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners and to call on the Australian government to support the lawsuit filed by Ms. Zhang against Jiang.

Some representatives of local governments and well-known figures came to attend the opening ceremony of the anti-torture exhibition and delivered speeches. They also expressed their sympathy towards Falun Gong practitioners who are suffering from the persecution, and showed their support for Ms. Zhang's lawsuit against Jiang.

Many citizens learned about the persecution and the lawsuit against Jiang through the anti-torture exhibition and the truth-clarifying leaflets. Out of their sense of justice and sympathy, some managers and owners of nearby shops took the initiative to ask for large quantities of leaflets and signature forms so that they could distribute them to their costumers and help in the signature drive.