The West Australian: Perth Link in Rights Fight

06/18/2001

ABOUT 20 people, young and old, gather at the rose garden in Nedlands at 7am every Saturday and Sunday to indulge in Falun Gong, an ancient Chinese practice of exercise and meditation.

They are grateful that they can spend two hours each day in the tranquil setting doing five sets of exercises from slow-moving standing gestures, stretches and postures to sitting in meditation, unlike practitioners in China who are persecuted for embracing what Beijing authorities say is an [Chinese government's slanderous term omitted]. Today, six of them will join hundreds of other practitioners at Parliament House in Canberra in the first national Falun Gong day gathering, aimed at promoting the practice among Australians and getting public support for followers in China.

They will give Prime Minister John Howard a letter outlining serious concerns about human rights abuses in China and ask the Department of Foreign Affairs to hand a similar letter to the Chinese Government.

Falun Gong followers believe the crackdown in China is based on the Government's fear of many people engaging in an activity not under its direct control.

"Falun Gong has no political, religious or commercial association, yet it is brutally prosecuted in China," Perth practitioner Albert Lin said.

"Falun Gong followers have families and normal social lives, they have no temple, no religious rituals and no fees. Anyone who does not want to join group practice has absolutely no obligation and can choose to practise at home alone.

"Falun Gong has helped millions of people improve their health and moral lives.

"We don't seek to harm or threaten anyone. The followers in China are not clamouring for a revolution or trying to depose anyone. So I cannot understand why the Chinese Government is against this practice."

The Chinese Government originally supported and encouraged Falun Gong but banned it almost two years ago, saying [Chinese government's slanderous terms omitted].

[...]

Before the ban, Chinese Government surveys showed that up to 70 million people, including [party' name omitted] officials, high military officers and civil servants, were followers. Their persecution reportedly has resulted in at least 200 deaths from torture. About 30,000 have been arrested, 10,000 sent to labour camps and about 1000 to mental hospitals. Others have been sacked or had careers affected.

Miros Gbelec, of Glendalough, said: "I know what it is like in socialist countries. I came from Czechoslovakia. If the commies are trying to destroy something, it must be good."

China has denied the rights abuses and let journalists visit a labour camp but Falun Gong followers say it was a show tour like Hitler's show tour of concentration camps to deceive the world and hide the persecution of Jews and other minorities. China's parks and squares may be empty but Falun Gong still has a strong following, with people practising it at home. It has spread to 40 countries including Russia, Canada, United States, Japan and Australia.

May Chen, of Nedlands, has helped spread it in WA, including Yanchep and Busselton. "Falun Gong has improved my health and given me inner peace and this is my way of giving something back," she said.

The rose garden practitioners, including secretary Molly Schwegler, computer programmer John Nagy, retired medical doctor Paul Yang and ceiling fixer Gavin McKay, spoke of how the practice had improved their health and mind tremendously.

While back, neck and knee aches as well as stomach and other ailments disappeared, they also regained basic human values of honesty, courtesy, loyalty and unselfishness. One person admitted paying taxes he had evaded and another returned to her office all the pens, pencils and notebooks she had taken home over the years.

"We don't want to get into politics or fight anyone," Mr Nagy said. "But because of our belief in moral values, we don't want to see fellow practitioners suffer."

The others in the garden agreed.