(Minghui.org) Continued from Part 1.
Falun Gong practitioners from across Australia held rallies in front of Parliament House in Canberra, the capital of Australia, from August 17 to 19, 2026, drawing attention to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of their belief. The CCP has been brutally persecuting Falun Gong in China since 1999, and has extended the persecution, through ongoing transnational repression, throughout the world.
At a midday rally on August 18, 2026, practitioners called on the Australian government to take action in response to the CCP’s escalating transnational repression in Australia, and to help curb the CCP’s systematic violations of human rights.
Community leaders and representatives from a variety of human rights groups, including Tibetans and Uyghurs, attended the rally to show their support and to condemn the “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress” recently implemented by the CCP. They warned that the law serves as a legal instrument for Beijing to enforce “forced assimilation” and “cultural genocide” against ethnic minorities, and that its reach extends into Australia and threatens the safety and freedom of speech of Australian citizens.
A large number of passersby and tourists stopped to watch the practitioners do the Falun Gong exercises and listen to the rally. Many took photos on their phones and asked for information about Falun Gong and why the event was being held. Quite a few people signed a petition calling for an end to the CCP’s crime of forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience and the escalation of the persecution outside of China.
Practitioners rally in Canberra on August 18, 2026, to call on the Australian government to end the CCP’s transnational repression. (Minghui.org)
Foundation CEO: Call Upon the Australian Government to Pass Legislation to Stop the CCP’s Malicious Acts
Lisa Cotton, founder and CEO of the Torchlight Foundation, addresses the rally. (Minghui.org)
Ms. Lisa Cotton, CEO and founder of the Torchlight Foundation, is a passionate advocate for people who face injustice and those whose rights and freedoms are under threat. Torchlight Foundation is an Australian not-for-profit organization that supports survivors of domestic and family violence and other forms of abuse.
Ms. Cotton said in her speech, “Silence for me is not neutrality. And when innocent people are persecuted and imprisoned and treated as commodities, I as a Christian and anyone who is a decent human being should speak up and not look away.”
Citing the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025 that was passed in the US Congress, Ms. Cotton called upon the Australian government to “support and pass legislation of comparable calibre, privacy protecting transplant declarations and data collection, bans on participation in organ trafficking abroad, ethical partnership standards and targeting consequences for those credibly implicated. Medical organizations, universities, faith communities, diaspora groups, journalists and parliamentarians must work together. We must stand beside survivors, protect those who speak out and ensure no person here is drawn into a system that profits from human abuse.”
Ms. Cotton shared her thoughts after recently watching the documentary Unbroken: The Untold Story of Shen Yun. She was deeply moved upon seeing the intimidation and threats Shen Yun artists face while expressing their faith and cultural heritage. She stated, “Freedom of expression, association, and religion must be protected here in Australia and beyond. No dancer, no theatre, no faith community or audience should be threatened for peaceful, artistic, cultural or religious expression.”
Ms. Cotton thanked the public for extending a helping hand: “I want to thank the community here and everyone who signs a petition, attends a vigil, writes to an MP, prays, learns, listens and refuses to look away. To every victim, survivor, family searching for a loved one, and a prisoner of conscience who may feel unseen, never give up. Do not lose heart. Justice is on its way.”
Tibet Council Representative: The CCP’s New Law Is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Dr. Zoë Bedford (left), Executive Director of the Australia Tibet Council, and Tenzin Dalha (right), a representative of the Canberra Tibetan community, speak at the rally. (Composite image by Minghui.org)
Dr. Zoë Bedford, Executive Officer of the Australian Tibet Council, condemned the CCP’s newly implemented “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress” and said it is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “Behind seemingly positive terms of unity and progress are the very ugly and dangerous realities of forced assimilation and cultural genocide in Tibet,” she said. “We need to understand what China wants to achieve with this bill. They want to eliminate Tibetan culture, they want to erase Tibetan language, and they want to destroy Tibetan religion.”
She called on the Australian government to take action to hold the CCP accountable for these policies and to impose Magnitsky-style sanctions against individual perpetrators of human rights abuses in China.
Tenzin Dalha, an advocate from the Tibetan community, expressed his solidarity with Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and with all individuals and communities who continue to experience repression, intimidation, and transnational repression from the Chinese Communist Party.
“Our experiences are different, but there is something that connects all of us. No government, especially not the Chinese Communist Party, should be able to use fear to silence people simply for believing and peacefully expressing who they are, what they believe, or what future they want for their people,” Mr. Dalha stated. “We call on the Australian government to continue taking transnational repression seriously, to protect diaspora communities, and to make it clear that Australian soil cannot become an extension of another government’s system of censorship and intimidation.”
Uyghur Community Leaders: Joint Efforts Are Needed to Raise Awareness and Resist the CCP’s Transnational Repression
Mr. Bahtiyar Bora, President of the Australian Uyghur Association (left); Ms. Ramila Chanisheff, President of the Australian Uyghur Women’s Association (AUTWA) (center); and Mr. Mehmet Celepci, spokesperson for the Australian Uyghur Association (right), address the rally. (Composite image by Minghui.org)
Mr. Bahtiyar Bora, President of the Australian Uyghur Association, pointed out that the CCP has packaged its “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress” as a measure to “promote harmony,” while in reality, it compels people to abandon their language, culture, religion, history, and identity. He also called on the Australian government and Parliament to take stronger action to counter transnational repression: to scrutinize the impact of the CCP’s “ethnic unity law,” strengthen oversight regarding products made with forced labor and associated supply chains, and protect Uyghurs, Tibetans, Falun Gong practitioners, Chinese democracy activists, and all communities targeted by transnational repression. At the same time, human rights and fundamental freedoms must be placed at the core of the relationship between Australia and the Chinese government.
Lastly, Mr. Bora stated, “To all Falun Gong friends, Tibetan friends, Chinese democracy activists, and every person suffering under CCP repression, your strength is our struggles. Your freedom is connected to our freedom, and your voice must never be silenced.”
Ms. Ramila Chanisheff, President of the Australian Uyghur Women’s Association (AUTWA), said that the CCP has legalized persecution through the “ethnic unity law” and is threatening overseas communities. She calls on the Australian government to heed the recommendations of Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and community groups, and to assert to the CCP that this law is unlawful, unacceptable, must not be implemented, and must be repealed.
She also stated that the Australian government has at its disposal all the necessary measures, whether it be implementing Magnitsky-style sanctions or banning products made with forced labor, and possesses the relevant laws, procedures, and recommendations. “It’s time to step up and take action,” she said.
Mr. Mehmet Celepci, spokesperson for the Australian Uyghur Association, recounted instances of the CCP’s escalating transnational repression and the extremely serious consequences it has inflicted on diaspora communities. He urged the overseas communities to unite and resist the CCP’s direct interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
Mr. Celepci said, “We come together, do actions together, and wake up other people, raise awareness among other people, ask our government and other governments who support human rights in diaspora to help us to put pressure on China to be able to live according to our language, culture, and religious values.”
Passersby: The CCP Fears the Truth
Passersby and tourists sign a petition in front of Parliament House in Canberra, calling to end the persecution of Falun Gong. (Minghui.org)
Mr. Smith, who is from Perth, said that he’s seen Falun Gong practitioners’ activities in Northbridge, Perth, and learned about the persecution. “When I heard that the Chinese Communist Party harvests organs from living people and sells them at high prices, I think it is so inhumane and simply disgusting. They kill people for profit, and there is even such a market. This goes against the bottom line of our Australian values and is absolutely intolerable.”
Mr. Smith from Perth said that CCP’s organ trafficking is absolutely intolerable. (Minghui.org)
Mr. Smith suggested, “What we need to do is communicate with the Prime Minister and anyone with influence within the Australian government to bring about change.”
He praised Falun Gong practitioners’ selfless dedication, “These practitioners come here to speak up for those who are persecuted. They are kind-hearted, good people. They care deeply about others, whereas there are too many people in this world who care only about money.”
Mr. Smith added that all agree with Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.
Paul (Minghui.org)
Paul, a local resident, said that he learned through media reports that the CCP attempts to dictate terms to the Chinese diaspora community in Australia and carries out transnational repression against Falun Gong practitioners. “As Australians, we cannot tolerate this. In this country, everyone should be free to express their views just as I do, and members of any religious group should be able to practice their faith peacefully,” he said.
Speaking of the new ethnic unity law, Paul said, “The CCP is stifling China’s traditions. Although I have never been to China, I have read extensively, met many Chinese people, and worked alongside them; I know that different ethnic groups across the country have distinct cultures. Yet, the CCP wants everyone to live according to the Han Chinese way and dictates what they should do. I cannot understand this, as it weakens a nation. I believe that the greater a country’s ethnic diversity, the more vibrant it is.”
Paul encouraged Falun Gong practitioners to persevere and keep raising awareness of the CCP’s human rights abuses.
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Category: Rallies & Protests
