Thank you for your letter regarding Mr. Wang Juntao and Mrs. Wang Lilun. Unfortunately the plight of these people is a tragic example of the current policy stance the Howard Government has taken towards refugees.

The official stance of the Australian government towards Falun Gong practitioners, who live in China, appears to be that they will be safe if they practice their beliefs privately and do not make open and public displays.

This is against the Democratic principles we hold dear in Australia and against the basic human right of freedom to practice a religion or to hold a political belief.

The case is a complex one. After failing to achieve refugee status the couple did not apply for a review of the decision and therefore could not seek legal review or Ministerial Intervention.

The only avenue for a consideration of their case was for the Minister to consider lifting the legal bar preventing another application. A formal request for the Minister to do so was considered and rejected.

The Department of Immigration is committed to the course of deportation.

There is nothing legally that can be done to assist in preventing this.

If Mr. Wang Juntao and Mrs. Wang Lilun can convince another country to give them a one way visa then they will be free to depart without the threat of deportation to China.

I will be writing to the New Zealand Immigration Minister the Hon Lianne Dalziel, to request that she consider granting refugee status to Mr. Wang Juntao and Mrs. Wang Lilun, and allow them to travel to New Zealand as swiftly as possible.

Yours sincerely

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Senator Andrew Bartlett

Leader of the Australian Democrats

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