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Urgent Letter to Australian Minister of Immigration: "The situation for Falun Gong practitioners in China is very severe, and even deadly." March 13 2003 #2A -- 2010 Fort St. Montreal, QC H3H 2C5 CANADA The Hon. Philip Maxwell Ruddock, M.P. Minister for Immigration and
Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs; Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for
Reconciliation. Suite MF 40 Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA Dear Sir, I am writing you this letter in utmost urgency, regarding a matter of serious
consequence. I have recently found out, thanks to some Chinese friends of mine,
that an elderly Chinese couple, Wang Juntao and Wang Liluan, are being detained
by Australian Immigration and held for possible deportation. They also practice
Falun Gong, and have already been subjected to torture and abuse in China
because the regime leader Jiang has decided that he should destroy all traces of
that peaceful spiritual practice and those who partake in it. As everyone in the free world knows quite well, the situation for Falun Gong
practitioners in China is very severe, and even deadly. The United Nations has
already recognized openly the sort of state terrorism meted out against the
Falun Gong. Amnesty International has confirmed hundreds of deaths in custody.
Thousands more are detained. As such, as an open and democratic society, Australia can and must offer
whatever help it can in providing safe haven for asylum seekers who have managed
to make it through the Bamboo curtain and away from such horror. I understand
the new concerns in regards to asylum and refugees, and immigration, because of
the threat of terrorism. But these are no terrorists! To send back, for whatever
reason, an elderly couple who have committed no wrongdoings, would bring
international shame on Australia, her government, and her people. I, however, do not believe that such a negative outcome will come to be. I
lay my confidence in the hearts of the good people who run her government, that
they may make a good and fair decision in this matter, weigh the facts and the
potential consequences, and think about what sort of history is being written,
right now, for our children and grandchildren to read about one day. Sincerely and with the kindest regards, Posting date: 3/17/2003 |