Celebrating National Falun Dafa Day in Canberra, Australia [Monday June 24, 2002]

Many practitioners from around Australia came to Canberra on Friday and Saturday to clarify the truth to residents of Canberra, the capital of Australia. On Saturday and Sunday there were groups of practitioners at three places: the city centre, Commonwealth Park (a park near the city centre where groups of Chinese tourists visit regularly) and outside the Chinese Embassy in Yarralumla.

In the city centre there was a small gazebo set up, with photos of Falun Dafa activities in China before the crackdown and around the world hung on the sides. Many people stopped to have a look at the pictures. Adorning the gazebo were many different coloured helium filled balloons with the words "Zhen-Shan-Ren" and "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" written on them. We gave these balloons to children and anyone who wanted them. In front of the stall were a free Chinese calligraphy table, where people could get there names written in Chinese and translated for them, and an area where people could sign a petition protesting to the Australian government about the restrictions placed on practitioners protesting outside the Chinese Embassy. (In March of this year, the Australian government banned Falun Dafa practitioners from displaying banners or playing Master Li's lectures outside the Chinese Embassy.) Next to and in the area surrounding the gazebo, practitioners gave exercise demonstrations and handed out truth clarifying materials to passers-by.

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A group of practitioners had the excellent idea of making bright yellow origami lotus flowers. These practitioners spent many hours making scores of flowers, which were given away to anyone who wanted them. Practitioners walked around the city centre offering people lotus flowers. Every person who took a flower also received a card with a picture of a real lotus flower and some words describing Falun Dafa and mentioning the persecution in China. The lotus flowers were very popular with the public, and many people were genuinely touched to receive such a beautiful gift. All sorts of different people received flowers and walked away with a smile, regardless of their attitude when the flower was first offered.

Monday was Australian National Falun Dafa Day and the day on which we handed over the petition of 93,000 signatures to a member of the Australian House of Representatives, Mr Anthony Albanese MP. The weather was very cold in Australia, less than 10 degrees Celsius. The petition was to call for the Australian government to condemn the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners in China. Practitioners sent out press releases on Friday and Sunday to inform the media of the event.

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Outside Parliament House, practitioners constructed a beautiful scene. On the grass was a group of over 100 practitioners from all over Australia, with their meditation mats evenly spaced out. In front of them was a great big Falun Dafa banner and a PA system for our guests to address the audience. Atop the banner was an arch of blue and yellow, helium-filled balloons that was five metres high, blowing gently in the wind. In front of the banner, the petition was placed in six large boxes decorated with ribbons. Arranged in front of the practitioners, on top of bollards nearby and around the PA system were bright yellow paper lotus flowers. All around were brightly coloured helium balloons. Along each side of the area where the practitioners were sitting, more practitioners held banners with Falun imprinted and "Zhen-Shan-Ren" written on them. Behind the practitioners were even more Falun Dafa banners.

Shortly before 11:30 a.m., the scheduled time for the ceremony, TV news camera crews arrived from four of the five TV channels that produce free-to-air TV news in Australia. Mr Anthony Albanese MP arrived and gave a short speech to the practitioners, congratulating them on having attained so many signatures, and expressing concern for the plight of Falun Dafa practitioners in China. He was presented with a certificate of thanks before heading back into Parliament House with a group of practitioners to help carry the petition.

From 11:15 a.m. on, a steady stream of Federal MPs and Senators, or their assistants came out to visit us and received a certificate thanking them for their support of Falun Dafa. At around 1:30 p.m., Mr John Greenwell representing Amnesty International and part of the Parliamentary Liaison Committee, and Mr Bill Stefaniak and Ms Kerrie Tucker, both Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly came to visit and received certificates of thanks and other gifts. Kerrie Tucker gave a short speech expressing her support for Falun Dafa and our right to be present outside the Chinese Embassy. A practitioner who had the role of Master of Ceremonies then gave a beautiful, moving speech about his understanding of Dafa, and just as the three guests posed for photos, the sun came out from the clouds for the first time that day.

Two members of the Australian Federal Police protective security unit came as part of their job to be present at any public event outside Parliament House. Practitioners chatted with them and gave them lotus flowers. Professor Benjamin Penny, an expert on Chinese culture from the Australian National University who has given talks about Falun Dafa and Master Li Hongzhi also visited.

Throughout the day, everyone who visited was warmly greeted and made to feel welcome. The overall impression was of cooperation, order, tranquillity and beauty. Many of the guests were reluctant to leave. Over the whole weekend, although a lot of things were done at the last minute, every practitioner recognised their role and did what they needed to do to ensure the event was a success.