Letter from the Foreign Minister of Australia to Senator John Faulkner

Parliament of Australia, The Senate
Senator John Faulkner
Labor Senator for New South Wales

Dear Mr. xx,

The Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has responded to my letter about your concerns at the situation of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

I enclose a copy of his reply.

Yours sincerely,

John Faulkner
10 September 2001

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The Hon Alexander Downer MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs

Dear Senator Faulkner:

Thank you for your letter of 10 July 2001, in which you forwarded me a letter from Mr. xx of NSW regarding the situation of Falungong practitioners in China.

First, let me state that the Government takes no position on the doctrine or practices of Falungong.

That said, the Government considers that the Chinese Government's ban on Falungong and its maltreatment of Falungong practitioners breach the fundamental rights of assembly and free expression, as well as rights to due process and fair trial.

The Government also believes that the Chinese Government's treatment of Falungong practitioners is in contravention of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which China has signed, but not yet ratified. The Australian side has repeatedly urged China to ratify the ICCPR as soon as possible, and with a minimum of reservations.

The Australian Government has expressed these views to the Chinese Government on numerous occasions, and at the highest levels. I personally raised the Government's concerns when I met my Chinese counterpart Tang Jiaxuan in Beijing on 23 April 2000. The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Alston, and the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Dr. Wooldridge, also raised the issue of human rights during their recent visits to China.

These issues were also addressed in some detail by the Australian delegation to the fourth round of the bilateral Human Rights Dialogue in Canberra on 16 August 2000.

The Government is saddened to hear reports of the deaths of over 12 Falungong practitioners in a "Re-education Through Labour" camp in Harbin. There are conflicting accounts of the circumstances of their deaths. No matter what the ultimate cause, however, these deaths would not have taken place if the individuals concerned had not been sentenced, without adequate judicial procedures, to terms of "Re-education Through Labour" against Falungong practitioners and others. It raised the issue of "Re-education Through Labour" with the Chinese authorities in August 2000 at the most recent round of the bilateral Human Rights Dialogue, and will do so again in the future.

You can assure Mr. xx that the Government will continue to register its concerns with the Chinese, both during the Human Rights Dialogue and through regular representations by our Embassy in Beijing.

Thank you for bringing Mr. xx's views to the attention of the Government.

Yours sincerely

Alexander Downer