August 15 2002

China's continued detention of dissidents was unacceptable and self-defeating, the Australian Government told a visiting Chinese delegation yesterday.

This was the case whether those being unfairly held were Tibetans, non-violent Muslim nationalists or members of the Falun Gong meditation [group].

The Chinese delegation, led by the Vice-Foreign Minister, Wang Guangya, and including a judge of the Peoples' Supreme Court, was told that the Australian Foreign Affairs Department received more representations on Tibet than any other human rights matter.

The second most complained about issue was treatment of Falun Gong members.

[...]

And in relation to Falun Gong, Australia believed treatment of practitioners in contravention of China's obligations under international human rights agreements was "unacceptable and counter-productive".

[...]

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/14/1029113958288.html