(Clearwisdom.net) The series of events held by practitioners during the APEC Summit were given much attention by the Australian media. As the only group permitted to hold an event every day during the APEC Summit, Falun Gong practitioners exposed the brutalities of the persecution and horrors of the organ harvesting atrocities to the media from many different angles. Several hundred reports appeared during the APEC Summit week on TV, radio, and in newspapers and the Internet.
A week before the APEC Summit, Australian media began report the persecution of Falun Gong in China and Falun Gong events scheduled during the APEC Summit period. Although security was very strict, Falun Gong activities were permitted by Australian police each day during the summit.
"We are not protesting the APEC Summit or protesting the Howard Government. We only wish for people know there are still tens of thousands Falun Gong practitioners detained in the labor camps, and they are being murdered for organ transplants.We sincerely call to stop this persecution." This Falun Gong practitioner's quote has been used by the media. This tragedy has been spread wide and widely reported by mainstream media in Australia.
Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Wang Xiaodan (Danielle) came to Australia from the United States before the APEC Summit. She was seeking support from APEC leaders at a press conference where she called for the release of her father, Wang Zhiwen, who has been in prison since 1999. Two major Australian media organizations participated in the press conference and interviewed Ms. Wang Xiaodan and Ms. Chen Muhan, a practitioner from Australia whose mother is detained in a labor camp for her faith in Falun Gong.
The following Monday and Tuesday, September 3-4, 2007, before Hu Jintao visited Perth, Canberra, and Sydney, Falun Gong practitioners held a peaceful protest and candlelight vigil outside Hu's hotel and the Chinese Embassy in Canberra. More than ten media organizations reported positively on the Internet, and countless oversea newspapers, radio stations and TV stations also reported the activities in these two places.
Many media quoted local Falun Gong press releases, "We believe it is a extremely good opportunity for the Australian government to tell the Chinese leaders who are visiting to release all detained Falun Gong practitioners and stop removing their organs immediately."
Practitioners held a candlelight vigil and press conference on the night of Monday, September 3, 2007. They announced a request to the Australian Immigration Bureau to refuse entry to Bo Xilai, the Commerce Minister. Many media outlets reported this, including AFP, media from Taiwan and Australia, and local media in Sydney.
On September 3, 2007, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Falun Gong practitioners had filed a lawsuit against the China Commerce Minister Bo Xilai in the highest court of New South Wales. In 2000, Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Pan Yu was tortured with 40 thousand volt electric baton shocks while detained in the Longshan Labor Camp in Liaoning Province, and he almost died. Bo Xilai was the Liaoning Province governor then. There were many Falun Gong practitioners detained in the Longshan Labor Camp under Bo's reign, and practitioners suffered genocidal mistreatment.
Despite the strict security measures, when Bo Xilai visited Canberra, Falun Gong practitioners successfully delivered lawsuit documents to him on Tuesday, September 4, 2007.
Also on Tuesday, September 4, 2007, a New South Wales Province Parliament member exposed that he and other Parliament members were harassed by Chinese Communist Officials because he planned to host the China Human Rights Forum the following week. In this forum, Mr. David Kilgour and Mr. David Matas from Canada spoke about their investigation report on the CCP harvesting living Falun Gong practitioners' organs. The media extensively reported this forum and the CCP harassment.
According to national media reports, led by New South Wales Province governor Morris Iemma, the provincial Parliament members cannot tolerate CCP harassment. "It's inevitable that other parliamentarians will exercise their democratic right to host their own dinners, events and functions," said Mr. Iemma.
Labor Party Congressman Mr. Primrose proved that CCP officials called him last Thursday on August 30, 2007, to request an urgent meeting. He said, "I can confirm Chinese Embassy officials approached the Parliament to protest at the holding of a function on human rights in China...I indicated it was part of the normal functions in Parliament and the only reason it would be canceled was for security concerns, of which there were none."
During the APEC Summit, Mr. David Kilgour, former Canadian Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific, and Mr. David Matas, human rights lawyer, received a human rights award and were interviewed by many media outlets about their important investigation report. A major radio station interviewed them in depth; the journalist was shocked by their report and asked what people could do to help end this persecution.
Mr. David Kilgour, Mr. David Matas, and Mr. Zhang Erping were also interviewed for one hour by the biggest community radio station in Sydney: FM99.3. They talked about the persecution of Falun Gong in China, and the organ harvesting investigation report. Another well-known radio station, 2SER, interviewed Mr. Zhang Erping about China's economic growth and the future of China reform.
Falun Gong speaker Mr. Zhang Erping spoke on many China Human Rights Forums together with Mr. David Kilgour and Mr. David Matas during his visit in Australia. As a researcher on China, Mr. Zhang Erping also accepted a biographical interview with a well-known state-owned Radio Station host and discussed in detail the China Press Censorship, Falun Gong, the harvesting of living practitioners' organs, etc.
The Free China NGO held a "Stop Persecution in China" rally and more than twenty media organizations were present. After the speeches, a play exposing the organ harvesting was performed. Media recorded the play. One media reported, "Street performers imitated the violence Falun Gong practitioners endure including forced labor, being detained and tortured, and having their organs removed while they are still alive, helped audience to understand what is happening with live images."
Many organizations joined the rally and gave speeches, and it was followed with a grand parade that was broad-cast live to all of Australia. The focus of most media reports was the brutal persecution, especially the organ harvesting atrocities.
One widely spread report mentioned well-known Australian and CIPFG member Mr. Sev Ozdowski,
"Australia's former human rights commissioner, Dr Sev Ozdowski, has likened next year's Beijing Olympics to the 1936 Berlin Olympics under Adolf Hitler, saying it is a similar display of economic power despite millions being persecuted in the background."
On Friday, September 7, 2007, Falun Gong practitioners held a rally to call to stop the CCP from persecuting Falun Gong. Many media organizations reported again. A photo journalist of an international news agency interviewed Ms. Wang Xiaodan and Ms. Chen Muhan.
On Saturday, September 8, 2007, Falun Gong practitioners were passing out truth clarifying materials all over downtown Sydney, wearing the yellow T-shirts.
A very influential newspaper in Sydney described,
"They are the quiet, constant protesters who are always left alone by police, even during this security-mad week.
Supporters and practitioners of the spiritual movement Falun Gong have held rallies on every day of this APEC Leaders' Week in Sydney and will continue to do so until Sunday. Police have authorized all of the protests...
Supporters accuse the Chinese government of torturing and killing Falun Gong practitioners and then harvesting their organs, said spokesman John Deller. 'The Chinese government are persecuting and killing Falun Gong practitioners, trying to eradicate the Falun Gong," he said."
Many media reports showed practitioners with photo displays and reported the messages from their banners seeking APEC countries help to end the persecution. One radio station reported, "Since early morning, Falun Gong practitioners began their peaceful protest in downtown Sydney, calling APEC leaders to pay attention to China's human rights record. This group requested President Howard to pressure the Chinese government through the APEC Summit to stop the persecution and torture of Falun Gong practitioners. Group speaker Mr. Deller said that the economic relationship between the Australia and China should not block Howard from asking the CCP government to end the persecution. "Speaking up for human rights should not impacted by trade - it's a totally separate issue... To keep silent on human rights abuses, on the persecution of Falun Gong simply because the communist regime threatens you, how can we accept that?"
Practitioners expressed that they will continue work hard to help more people learn the truth and end the persecution.
September 26, 2007
All content published on this website is copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
