December 24, 2003

Spiritual group Falun Dafa is seeking an apology from the Melbourne City Council after a tribunal yesterday found the council had discriminated against it by excluding it from this year's Moomba parade.

Judge John Bowman, deputy president of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, said that while he was satisfied Falun Dafa's participation in the parade would have been cultural and not political, some people could infer the council itself was politically motivated.

Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, has been banned in China since 1999.

It bases its beliefs on improving people's moral character and physical wellbeing. The group, which says that more than 500 [practitioners] have been killed because of their beliefs, also says its only political agenda is seeking the end to persecution of Falun Dafa in China.

Judge Bowman said the council had treated the group harshly by saying in January that it would allow [practitioners] to take part in Moomba 2003 - after they gave an undertaking not to spread political messages - then banning them in February on the basis of their apparent "strong political associations". The council had breached the Equal Opportunity Act, he said.

Greens councillor David Risstrom, who voted against excluding Falun Dafa in a six-to-three council vote in February, said that limiting community involvement because of a group's political affiliation was a dangerous precedent. Deputy Lord Mayor Susan Riley said in a statement that "the council will abide by the umpire's decision".

Judge Bowman set a directions hearing for February to determine the issue of the council's apology.

A Falun Dafa spokesman said the group hoped the council would apologise publicly.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/12/23/1071941726523.html