Australia: Before His Visit to China, Falun Gong Practitioners Urge Prime Minister to Help End the Persecution

Australian Prime Minister Mr. John Howard will visit China at the end of April and sign trade agreements between the two countries. Before his departure, Falun Gong practitioners in Sydney held a candlelight vigil and urged Mr. Howard to put forward the Falun Gong issue to the Chinese government during his visit. Practitioners are requesting the Prime Minister's help in ending the persecution in China, and hope that he asks for the release of Falun Gong practitioners being imprisoned, including family members of Australian citizens.

Falun Gong practitioners hold wreaths commemorating practitioners who have been persecuted to death in China	Practitioners call for help to end the persecution

On the evening of April 14, 2005, practitioners in Sydney gathered outside a club where the Prime Minister was to meet, and held a candlelight vigil with small wreaths in their hands to await Prime Minister Howard's arrival. On the wreaths were the names or photos of practitioners tortured to death in China. Passers-by were interested in the practitioners' appeal. After learning about the brutal persecution in China and the reason for the practitioner's appeal, passers-by were touched. Some said that they would call the Prime Minister's office to appeal for Falun Gong.

When the Prime Minister arrived at the club and saw so many people peacefully awaiting his arrival, he waved to the practitioners. The practitioners explained the facts of Falun Gong and the persecution to the Prime Minister's staff, security people and passers-by. Most of the practitioners waiting outside the club had either been persecuted in China for practising Falun Gong, including Western practitioners who were arrested when they went to China to appeal after the persecution began in 1999, or they had family members being persecuted in China. A representative for the practitioners handed several open letters to the Australian Prime Minister and to Chinese President Hu Jintao and asked Mr. Howard to forward them during his visit. The practitioners explained the facts of the persecution to Mr. Howard's staff. The assistant to the Prime Minister was touched after learning the facts and said that he would transfer the letters to Mr. Howard. When Mr. Howard came out of the club, his assistant stepped forward and explained the practitioners' appeal. Prime Minister Howard shook hands with each practitioner on site. After the Prime Minister left, a police officer in charge of security thanked the practitioners for their cooperation and peacefulness. He was touched because he seldom saw such a peaceful appeal group, and he said he hoped that the practitioners' requests will be honoured.

In the letter to the Prime Minister, the practitioners expressed their hope that Mr. Howard would put forward the issue of Falun Gong during his visit to China. The number of practitioners tortured to death was 767 in August 2003 when Mr. Howard last visited China. Within less than two years, the number of verified deaths due to persecution in China has increased to 1,735, including several family members of Australian citizens. The letter urged the Prime Minister to convey the Australian people's voice that the persecution must be ended.

In their open letter to President Hu Jintao, the practitioners urged him to make a righteous choice in this important historical moment, and to help stop the persecution initiated by Jiang Zemin. They asked him to release all practitioners being unlawfully imprisoned and to restore Falun Gong's good reputation.

Reporters from the local community newspaper, Australia ABC TV station, and NTDTV covered the event.