March 21, 2002
Commonwealth of Australia
The Honorable Alexander Downer-
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

Dear Mr. Downer:

We are writing to you from Canada. "Friends of Falun Gong Association of Canada" is a Canada-based non-profit organization of individuals who firmly support and advocate for freedom of belief and other human rights. Friends of Falun Gong seeks in particular to free the Falun Gong prisoners of conscience in the People's Republic of China and to end the brutal persecution. To do this, FoFLG intends to obtain broad support for this cause, and to raise international awareness about the rights violations in the persecution of Falun Gong. Why Falun Gong? Currently, human rights abuses committed against Falun Gong are the most systematic and widespread violations of any group in China, and the persecution continues to escalate at an alarming pace. As members of the free world who cherish basic freedoms, we feel compelled to extend our help. We invite all who share in this vision to join us.

Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) is just an exercise and meditation system that is good for both health and well being. The practice is based on the characteristic of the universe, Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. Practitioners follow these principles in their daily lives, having the effect of improved family relationships, work ethic, motivation and general overall happiness. Falun Dafa is enjoyed by over 100 million people in over 50 countries worldwide. The founder of Falun Gong, Mr. Li Hongzhi, has received over 800 proclamations, congratulatory letters and letters of support from all over the world (please see http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/special_column/recognition.html). Unfortunately, in July 1999, the President of China began a nation-wide suppression of the group due to its rapid increase in popularity in only 7 years. Since that time, Falun Gong practitioners in China have been experiencing an extremely severe persecution. According to incomplete figures, to date 382 Falun Gong practitioners have been killed in the persecution, more than 500 practitioners have been illegally sentenced to prison terms, more than 1,000 practitioners have been forcefully sent to mental hospitals, over 20,000 have been sent to labor camps without any legal proceedings, and more than 100,000 have been arrested and detained. Many practitioners continue to be beaten and tortured by police and separated from their families, while tens of millions of family members, relatives, friends, and colleagues have been affected by the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Despite this brutal treatment, practitioners have continued to peacefully appeal and clarify the truth about Falun Gong. Their compassion and tolerance have touched people everywhere resulting in two consecutive nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize as well as the awarding of the Religious Freedom award from Freedom House, the oldest Human Rights organization in all of North America. Actually, it is Jiang Zemin that is violating the law and the International Human Right's covenant by initiating this persecution. Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution allows freedom of speech, of assembly and of demonstration.

We write to you today to express our concern about this persecution being extended into the democratic land of Australia. We believe that Certificate you have just signed to restrict the Falun Gong protest in front of the Chinese Embassy is not appropriate. Falun Gong's Appeals are not a disturbance to the Embassy. They are peaceful. They also would not be there if the Chinese authorities were not persecuting and torturing innocent people. How can we criticize the victims of the persecution? How can we say that the Chinese authorities' murder and torture of innocent people is not the true infringement on Falun Gong practitioners' dignity? When people are being treated wrongly, they should be allowed to speak. These practitioners should be complimented for volunteering their time and efforts to appeal for human rights and for remaining peaceful in the face of violence and defamatory propaganda. This is not a good step in Australia's glorious history of protecting human rights. It is an encouragement to the Chinese dictator who would then persecutes Falun Gong practitioners even harder.

Therefore, Mr. Downer, we urge you to void the certificate you have signed which restricts Falun Gong practitioners' protest in front of the Chinese Embassy. Let's work together to end the brutal persecution toward Falun Gong and to protect human rights.

Yours truly,

Friends of Falun Gong
Association of Canada