March 12, 2002

THE mother of a Melbourne woman arrested in China for demonstrating against the ban on the Falun Gong movement in Tiananmen Square was "proud and supportive" of her daughter's decision.

Emma Hall and her husband, Jarrod Lindon Hall, both 23, were held by Chinese police on Sunday after attempting to unroll a red banner protesting against the crackdown on the movement.

The action follows the deportation of 10 Australian Falun Gong members after a similar protest in Tiananmen Square on Thursday. Ros Doddrell, 46, joined the Falun Gong spiritual and exercise movement with her daughter after watching members exercise in Melbourne's Fitzroy Gardens four years ago.

She said the couple, who had only arrived in Beijing hours before Sunday's protest, were "devoted and active" followers who regularly [spread the group's] teachings at festivals.

[...]

Ms Hall recently finished a degree in performance studies while her husband had worked for the Wilderness Society.

Ms Doddrell said her 76-year-old mother, who practised yoga, had telephoned and said her grand-daughter was "very brave" to have protested in Beijing. Mr Hall's parents were also very supportive of their son's decision to protest in China. Ms Doddrell was worried about their treatment in jail.

[...]