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At 10:00 am on August 8, 2006, Falun Gong practitioners from Australia held a rally and a press conference. They announced that they will not accept Foreign Minister Downer's settlement, which they felt was insincere, and that they will continue the lawsuit against him for abusing his power to issue monthly certificates for 49 consecutive months banning Falun Gong practitioners from displaying banners in front of the Chinese Embassy.
Since the lawsuit was filed 13 months ago, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Supreme Court has repeatedly required Mr. Downer to submit evidence that he had the right to issue the monthly certificates, but Mr. Downer postponed it again and again, and suggested an "out-of-court settlement". On July 24, The ACT Supreme Court ordered that Mr. Downer must submit the evidence before September 4; otherwise, he must take the responsibility for it. The next Directions Hearing will be on September 11.
At the press conference, Ms. Dai Zhizhen, one of the plaintiffs, said that Mr. Downer stopped issuing the certificates and was willing to pay the legal fees of the lawsuit, but meanwhile, Mr. Downer refused to admit that it was wrong for him to issue the certificates, and he insisted on keeping the right to issue them in the future. She said that practitioners cannot accept these terms. Ms. Dai said that the Australian Falun Gong group is facing the possibility that Downer will issue the certificates again at anytime.
Ms. Dai said that during Wen Jiabao's visit in April 2006, Downer ordered policemen to park three big buses in front of practitioners' banners, blocking them from view. She said: "It is obvious that Downer changed his ways to support the Chinese Communist Party. The purpose of continuing the lawsuit is to expose Downer's giving in to the CCP and selling out Australian's interest."
Zhang Cuiying, another plaintiff, said that Downer's behavior has seriously hurt Australia's interests. When the CCP is harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners, his behavior is actually helping to support a crime against humanity.
Zhang Cuiying also said that Downer lied to the public that Falun Gong practitioners had used loudspeakers to broadcast 24 hours a day. It is not true. Zhang said that she believes that the court will establish justice. She said: "No matter whether he is the minister of the Foreign Affairs Department, he should be punished as long as he violates human rights."
Ms. Kay Rubacek, spokeswoman for the Falun Gong group, said that Falun Gong group received permission issued by National Capital Authority (NCA), for the first time in last four years, that they can fix the banners on the ground. According to NCA policy, a group can apply to fix its banners on the ground for three days every month, but Downer's certificates deprived Falun Gong practitioners of that right for four years.
Olympic medalist Ms. Jan Becker said at the press conference that she submitted 4000 signatures against the Chinese government's violation of human rights to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Mr. Jacques Rogges, the president of IOC, has required the Chinese Olympic Committee to answer certain questions. The content of the petition includes: 1. The Chinese Communist Party's harvesting organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. 2. IOC should require the Chinese government to issue visas to Falun Gong practitioners all over the world during the Olympic Games, and protect their rights during their staying in China. 3. IOC should communicate with the Chinese government and help to stop the persecution of Falun Gong. If the CCP doesn't stop the persecution, they are not qualified to hold the Olympic Games in China.
Ms. Becker said that Downer has abused his power. She said that her grandparents had fought for freedom and democracy, but Downer is now depriving Australian citizens of their freedom of speech. Ms. Becker hopes that Downer will respect the rights and freedoms of the Australian people.
Background:
On March 16, 2002, a day before Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs
Tang
Jiaxuan visited Australia, under pressure exerted by the Jiang Zemin
regime,
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer signed a
certificate to
restrict Falun Gong practitioners from conducting peaceful appeals in
front of
the Chinese Embassy. He also ordered federal police officers to remove
practitioners' banners. He claimed the Falun Gong banners and practice
music
infringed upon the dignity of Chinese delegation and the Chinese
Embassy. Since
then, Downer has signed the special 30-day certificates for 49
consecutive
months. Practitioners have made great efforts to communicate with the
Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, but they have not obtained a positive reply. They
had no
other way but to seek legal channels to safeguard their rights. On June
8, 2005,
Falun Gong practitioners in Australia filed a lawsuit against Foreign
Minister
Mr. Alexander Downer in the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court
in
Canberra. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop Mr. Downer from using
Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities (DPI) Regulations to prevent the
displaying
of Falun Gong banners and the playing of amplified music outside the
Chinese
Embassy in Canberra.
Celebrations and parades were held in different places in Thailand to celebrate the Queen's birthday on August 12, 2006. Falun Gong practitioners participated in the community parade and celebration performances. The sponsor of the activities issued an award to the practitioners.
The sponsor presents an award to a Falun Gong practitioner
On the afternoon of August 12, a Falun Gong contingent composed of flags, dragon flags, celestial maiden dancers and waist drums joined other community groups and set off from Bangkok Bridge, marching toward Big Cup Shopping Mall. On the way, vigorous drum beats, colorful flags and elegant dancing, and celestial maidens spreading flowers, attracted attention of people on the streets. They highly praised the wonderful performances. Falun Gong practitioners held in both hands big colorful lotus flowers which were filled with small paper-folded lotus flowers, each attached a book mark with a message about the virtues of Falun Dafa. They presented these lotuses to people watching on the streets.
 Falun Gong exercise demonstration |
 "Celestial maidens" display a banner reading "Falun Dafa is Good" |
On the evening of August 13, 2006, practitioners participated in a royal celebration held in the square. They performed a dragon flags dance, celestial maidens dance, waist drum performance, demonstration of the five sets of exercises, and chorus. They displayed the beauty of Falun Dafa and their wonderful performance won a round of applause from the audience.
After the performance, the sponsor presented an award and had a photo taken with all practitioners. They shouted in chorus, "Falun Dafa is Good."
Falun Gong practitioners once again attended a seminar on non-violence hosted by the Singapore Democratic Party on August 13, 2006. During the time, they played a video entitled, Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. More details follow:
The Singapore Democratic Party held a two-day seminar on August 12-13, 2006. The topic for discussion on August 13 was non-violent resistance. The seminar reviewed the history of international non-violent resistance and non-violent resistance in Singapore. Following the speech given at a human rights seminar the day before, a Falun Gong practitioner was again invited to speak at the seminar on August 13.
The practitioner pointed out that people in Singapore and Southeast Asia have been brainwashed to different extents by communist ideology. Though these countries are not communist countries, both governments and people, more or less, have been affected by the Communist Party culture. Therefore, it is necessary for not only Chinese people but also Singaporeans to get to know what the Communist Party is, and what means it has used to control and suppress people.
Next, the practitioner played a video of the first of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. Attendees watched with interest. When watching the scenes of Communist Party killing people, the attendees sighed. As time was limited, the video was only played for 20 minutes. The attendees expressed interest in watching it after returning home.
The practitioner then presented one copy of the book and a DVD on the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party to each attendee. A man said he came from Thailand, he would have more time after returning to Thailand and would take a good look at the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.
After the seminar, four to five people who did not attend the seminar on August 12 wanted to know what Falun Gong is. Practitioners patiently explained what Falun Gong is and about the persecution in China. One lady said that she had not known that the newspaper propaganda smearing Falun Gong was not true until today.