(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held a rally in front of Parliament House in Canberra on November 24, 2025 to protest Zhao Leji’s visit, the third most powerful CCP official. He plays an important role in the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) and the state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting. The practitioners called on the Australian government to sanction him.
During the rally, John Deller, spokesperson for the Australian Falun Dafa Association, pointed out that Zhao is not a regular visitor, but a human rights violator. He said, “It’s nothing extraordinary to welcome visiting officials from other countries, but Australia should not be welcoming officials from a communist country where they’re persecuting and killing, torturing people.”
Zhao is a current member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CCP Central Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in China. He visited Australia from November 22 to 25, 2025. He was under investigation by members of the international community for following Jiang Zemin, former head of the CCP who launched the persecution. He is on the list of those being investigated and sanctioned by human rights organizations in Australia and other countries.
During the rally, multiple Falun Dafa practitioners described their experiences and suffering due to the CCP’s brutal persecution and they called on the international community to help stop the persecution of innocent people.
Falun Dafa practitioners held a rally in front of Parliament House in Canberra on November 24, 2025 to protest Zhao Leji’s visit.
Practitioners protest the CCP’s persecution and transnational repression in front of the Chinese Embassy, near the airport, and the roads that the CCP’s motorcade pass by on November 24 and 25
It was reported that Zhao disassembled the 610 Office to avoid attention abroad, but continues the persecution via the CCP’s Political and Legal Committee.
The Falun Dafa Info Center called on the U.S. government to sanction Zhao in October 2025.
Zhao’s motorcade passed by the practitioners’ protest sites twice and saw the banners and heard the practitioners’ shouting, “Falun Dafa is good,” and “Stop persecuting Falun Gong.”
Exposing Zhao’s Human Rights Infringement and Calling on the Australian Government to Sanction Him
John Deller, spokesperson of Australian Falun Dafa Association, addresses the rally.
Mr. Deller said in his speech that Zhao Lijie was the governor and the Communist Party Secretary in Qinghai Province in the 2000s. He was the Communist Party Secretary in Shanxi Province from 2007 to 2012. In all these roles, he has overseen the persecution, torture, and killing of Falun Gong practitioners.
He pointed out, “Falun Gong practitioners have died in those provinces while he was either the governor or the Party secretary.”
He called on the Australian government to raise these human rights issues while meeting with Chinese officials and to investigate the CCP officials’ human rights abuses.
Dr. Lucy Zhao, President of Falun Dafa Association in Australia
Dr. Lucy Zhao said that Zhao is one of the culprits involved in the persecution. When he was governor and CCP secretary in Qinghai Province, the persecution was severe and there was even forced organ harvesting.
She said, “The persecution of Falun Gong has lasted 26 years and is ongoing. Many relatives of Australian citizens are being detained and tortured in China for their belief. The CCP infiltrates abroad and escalates transnational repression. Thus it is not a China issue anymore, but directly violates the foundation of Australia—freedom and democracy.
She said, “We have submitted the list of those involved in the persecution to the Australian government multiple times, including the evidence of Zhao Leji’s participation in the persecution. We regret to see him visiting Australia. We hope that the Australian government does not place commerce above human rights. We hope that the Australian government can represent Australian people and families to put forward request to the Chinese officials to stop the persecution immediately and release all Falun Gong practitioners who are detained or imprisoned.”
Before Zhao Leji arrived in Australia, the Australian Falun Dafa Association sent a letter to Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong and called on the Australian government to raise the issue of persecution of religions and beliefs when they met the Chinese delegation and to stress Australia’s promise of freedom of belief and humanity dignity.
Accepting Zhao’s Visit Harms Australia’s Reputation
Madeleine Bridgett (middle), an Australian human rights lawyer; David Matas, Canadian human rights lawyer; and Mr. Deller attend the discussion of the documentary State Organs at the beginning of November 2025.
Madeleine Bridgett, lawyer and member of the International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC), warned the Australian government that accepting Zhao Leji’s visit would harm the country’s reputation because the international community is paying attention to Zhao’s violation of human rights and his involvement in organ trafficking.
She said that Australian leaders should be clear about their responsibilities to conduct human rights due diligence before contacting or collaborating with those who are involved in, or violate human rights.
Multiple first-hand information indicates that the CCP’s spies and relevant medical facilities target diverse people, including death-row inmates, Uyghurs, Falun Gong practitioners, and dissidents.
Ms. Bridgett’s concern was also supported by Mr. David Matas, a former Nobel Peace Prize nominee and renowned human rights attorney from Canada. Mr. Matas pointed out, “China’s organ transplantation system lacks basic transparency and independent inspection.” The risk of setting up collaboration under this condition is enormous, leading to reputation damage and implication of accomplices of human rights violations. It may lead to legal responsibilities under international human rights laws.
Dr. Lucy Zhao also said, “In the near future, when the CCP’s crimes against humanity are revealed to the world, it will be a disgrace for Australia to have a violator and killer as a guest. It will be a regret.”
Australia Should Sanction the CCP Officials
David
David, a Canberra resident and retired public servant, came across the event. He said he admired practitioners for their peaceful protest, “I think you’re doing very well and the way you handle yourselves in protest. I mean, it must be pretty upsetting for you to see the people representing the Chinese Communist Party here. You conduct yourselves very well and you have a very good, peaceful protest.”
About the CCP’s forced organ harassing and transnational repression, David said, “I think they should think about some sanctions on China. It’s very difficult for us in Australia, as you know, we’re economically linked to China. And there must be some particular way we could show that we’re protesting. The CCP does not care about human lives.”
Pro-CCP Groups Interfere with Practitioners’ Peaceful Protest
Many pro-CCP groups and banners appeared in front of the Chinese Embassy and main roads to the Parliament building on the day of Zhao’s visit. Mr. Deller said that these people came in many buses and that many of them were Chinese associations that are connected to the CCP’s United Front. They forcefully attempted to block the practitioners’ banners with their red flags and pushed peaceful protesters, including elderly women.
Dr. Lucy Zhao condemned the act and called on the Australian government to investigate these CCP-controlled Chinese groups based on the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Act 2018 and to safeguard democracy and freedom in Australia.
Dr. Zhao confirmed that there were multiple incidents of pro-CCP people attacking Falun Gong practitioners. Two violent attacks were reported to the Australian police.
Practitioners held banners beside roads near the Chinese Embassy on November 25, 2025.
Federal Legislators Requested to Turn off Network to Prevent the CCP’s Infiltration
After Zhao arrived at Wellington, New Zealand, the government did not take special security measures. But the Australian Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) issued an internal email about the Zhao’s visit on November 24.
The email requested all legislators and staffers set their cell phones and tablets to airplane mode and there might be no wireless service. The email even noted the routes that the Chinese delegation would walk in the Parliament building for the legislators to note if their offices were near the route of the Chinese delegation as there was concern that the Wi-Fi connection could be infiltrated.
“When Parliament is forced to issue such a warning—this person is not a guest, but an intruder who is a real threat to our democratic system,” one senator said.
A few weeks ago, Mike Burgess, Director-General of Security in charge of the Australian Security Information Organization (ASIO), issued a warning that the CCP-supported hackers have shifted from spying to sabotage targeting Australia’s most critical infrastructure.
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