January 1, 2002

Late last night, just around the corner from the ritzy glitter at the Hyatt, and opposite the Chinese Embassy on Coronation Drive in Yarralumla, about 20 Sydney members of the Falun Gong movement were planning, with 70 tiny lanterns glimmering in the darkness, their own all-night event.

Spokesman Daniel Clark explained, 'We're using the candles as a symbol of mourning and of hope. The violent crackdown in China against these peoples' fellow practitioners has been going on for 2 years and 334 of them have been killed, and so we see the changing of the year as maybe a chance to look forward to new hope'.