(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners held a rally in Melbourne on July 9, 2022 to condemn the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 23-year-long persecution. They called on the Australian government, the public, and the international community to learn about the persecution and jointly stop it.

David Limbrick, Member of the Victorian Legislative Council, said in his speech that Australians should know about the persecution and defend the universal values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Jordon Steele-John, federal Greens Senator and Greens Foreign Affairs spokesperson, said that the CCP’s human rights abuses will not be ignored.

Bernie Finn MP, the Victorian leader of the Democratic Labour Party, reiterated in his letter that he strongly supports Falun Dafa practitioners.

Tian Guo Marching Band performs during the rally in Melbourne on July 9.

Victoria Falun Dafa Association Calls for an End to the Persecution

Fan Huiqiang, director of the Victoria Falun Dafa Association, said in his speech, “We are gathering here today to call for an end to the persecution and bloodshed.”

Fan Huiqiang, director of the Victoria Falun Dafa Association, addressed the rally.

Mr. Fan said, “We call on our government to urge the CCP to release all Falun Gong prisoners of conscience. We call on everyone here to uphold justice and make their own stand, and to stand with goodness, integrity and human sanctity.”

He said that the Australia Falun Dafa Association submitted to the Australian government a list of Chinese officials involved in the persecution of Falun Gong. These officials committed crimes against humanity and genocide and should be sanctioned under the Australia’s Magnitsky-style Thematic Sanctions laws.

Victorian Legislator: Australians Must Uphold the Universal Values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance

David Limbrick, a Liberal Democrat Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council, addressed the rally.

Victorian legislator David Limbrick addressed the rally and said, “The people who understand the meaning of freedom the most are often those who have lost it.” He said, “Many of those who came to Australia had lost their freedom, and many of them were Falun Dafa practitioners. They have been persecuted in China for 23 years.

Mr. Limbrick said in an interview, “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are principles that everyone can understand, and universal values that appeal to everyone in the world. If we don’t defend these principles and take action to stop the persecution in another country, the same thing can happen in Australia.”

Democratic Labour Party Victorian Leader: Strongly Support Falun Dafa Practitioners

Letter from Senator Jordon Steele-John, Australian Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Peace & Nuclear Disarmament

Senator Jordon Steele-John stated in his letter, “I support this movement and recognise the importance of spreading awareness of what is happening in China to Falun Dafa practitioners.”

Senator Steele-John welcomed and appreciated the contribution of Falun Dafa practitioners in Australia.

Letter from Bernie Finn MP, State Leader, Democratic Labour Party, Member of Victoria Legislative Council

Bernie Finn MP, State Leader of the Democratic Labour Party and Member of Victoria Legislative Council, could not attend due to travel. He stated in his letter, “I am delighted to express my strong support for practitioners of Falun Dafa, particularly those facing ongoing persecution and death in China.”

“My warmest wishes to the Falun Dafa community. Be strong and know I stand with you. You-we will win.”

News Weekly Writer: Civilized People Should Believe and Follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance

Peter Westmore, News Weekly magazine’s main contributor and former chairman of Australia’s National Civic Council (NCC), speaks at the rally.

Peter Westmore, News Weekly magazine’s main contributor, addressed the rally and said, “We see from the actions of the CCP that the meaning of communism today is torture, oppression, dictatorship, and genocide. What the CCP does is to terrorize people.”

He said Falun Gong practitioners believe in the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance that all civilized people should believe and follow. By practicing these principles, Falun Gong practitioners have promoted social harmony, but they are persecuted by the CCP precisely because of this. He pointed out that the crime of the CCP’s live organ harvesting was barbaric and more evil than any crime.

He said, “The CCP is not China. The Chinese people are moderate and civilized, but the CCP, which persecutes people, is not like that. It cannot represent the Chinese people. This evil regime will collapse one day.”

Gerard Flood from the Democratic Labor Party addressed the rally.

Gerard Flood from the Democratic Labor Party said, “The CCP must be brought to justice. We must condemn and refute the lies and deceit of the CCP and its proxies.” He advised Victorians to start a campaign and introduce new regulatory requirements that all agents, agencies, proxies, and partner organizations need to ensure separation from the CCP.

President of Tiananmen Times: Falun Gong Brings Grace to the World

Ruan Jie, president of Melbourne’s Tiananmen Times, addressed the rally.

Ruan Jie, chairman of the Preparatory Committee of the Mainland Government of the Republic of China and president of Tiananmen Times, said, “Falun Gong adheres to the universal values of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and improves morality. It is a positive force for social development. Falun Gong brings harmony and beauty to the world.”

Ruan said that since 2002, he has supported Falun Gong practitioners’ struggle for the freedom to practice and to stop the persecution. “When you support a person to fight for his rights, you support yourself. Because in a society, if a person is subjected to persecution, it means that it will be your turn next.”

“The CCP regime has come to an end,” Ruan said. From the pandemic, more and more western countries and people have awakened. “So I believe that the CCP’s days are numbered.”

Supervisor of the Chinese Democratic Movement Melbourne Alliance: Only by Renouncing the CCP Can We Return to Justice

Gao Jian, supervisor of the Chinese Democratic Movement Melbourne Alliance, speaks at the rally.

Gao Jian, supervisor of the Chinese Democratic Movement Melbourne Alliance, said, “I am not a Falun Gong practitioner, but I am a friend of Falun Gong practitioners. Many of my friends who participated in the democratic movement now practice Falun Dafa. As long as the CCP exists for one day, I will insist on speaking up for Dafa. I am a firm supporter of Dafa.”

He said, “A relative of my friend was a Falun Gong practitioner. He was brutally tortured to death because of his belief. Even now, in China, Falun Gong practitioners can lose their lives every day because of their beliefs.”

“Falun Gong practitioners clarify the truth, just to tell people that the CCP is the biggest evil cult,” said Gao. “Only by quitting the Party organizations can one abandon the evil and return to the righteous.”

Background: What Is Falun Dafa and Why Is the CCP Persecuting It?

Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong) was first introduced to the public by Mr. Li Hongzhi in Changchun, China, in 1992. The spiritual discipline is now practiced in over 100 countries and regions worldwide. Millions of people who have embraced the teachings, which are based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, and learned the five exercises, have experienced improved health and well-being.

Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology, and on July 20, 1999 issued an order to ban the practice.

Minghui.org has confirmed the deaths of thousands of practitioners as a result of the persecution over the past 23 years. The actual number is believed to be much higher. More have been imprisoned and tortured for their faith.

There is concrete evidence that the CCP sanctions the harvesting of organs from detained practitioners, who are murdered to supply the organ transplant industry.

Under Jiang’s personal direction, the CCP established the 610 Office, an extralegal security organization with the power to override the police and judicial systems and whose sole function is to carry out the persecution of Falun Dafa.