Our Future Is Shaped By the Freedoms We Uphold

he recent ABC Four at the Asian Health Expo in PRESSURE BY DECREE In August 2015, the Sydney Corners investigation Beijing Mr. Li was awarded the This persecution extended to Morning Herald reported that 'Power and Influence,’ Most Acclaimed Master Australia. “Good relations” with the Chinese Consul-General in andT accompanying reports award and in March 1995 Mr. Sydney, Li Huaxin, had written , including trade, were published in Fairfax media Li was invited by the Chinese linked to Australia’s acquiescence to the president of the NSW have shed light on how the ambassador to introduce to the Chinese Communist Legislative Council, Don Harwin is Gong at the Chinese Embassy in Party’s line on . and asked him to forward the infiltrating Australia. In 2016 at France. In 1998 the State Sports This wasemphasised in March correspondence to all NSW a China Matters conference in Commission estimated that 2002 during a press conference MPs. The Consul General’s Perth WA, Stephen FitzGerald, a upwards of 70 million people in Australia, when China’s then letter described Falun Gong as JOHN former Australian ambassador to practising Falun Gong in China, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan a “downright anti-China group” China, also noted that Chinese including government officials, told Australia to refrain from and pressed MPs not to attend DELLER Communist Party-directed officers in the armed forces, and supporting the activities of Falun a briefing at NSW Parliament interventions in Australia are university lecturers. Gong to preserve friendly and House on international human “challenging fundamentals However, former Chinese cooperative relations with China organ harvesting and trafficking. of our system like freedom Communist leader Jiang Zemin from being damaged in any way. Nine State MP’s, who had of speech and the media and opposed the popularity of Falun During Tang’s visit, the then previously confirmed their If as a nation, enquiry, and the very validity of Gong and its renewal of an Foreign Minister Alexander attendance, then cancelled after our political system.” ancient spiritual discipline in the Downer issued certificates to receipt of the Consul General’s Australia focuses This challenge to our freedoms Chinese tradition of “cultivation” prevent Falun Gong protestors letter. in Australia is well-known to or “self-improvement” based on from having fixed or large In addition to being the on an ethical many Australians of Chinese the principles of truthfulness, banners across the street representative body for Falun and non-Chinese background compassion, and forbearance from the Chinese Embassy in Dafa (Falun Gong) in Australia, and moral base who practice the meditation (Zhen, Shan, Ren in Chinese). Canberra. By August 2002, an the Falun Dafa Association for trade, and discipline Falun Gong (also To support his campaign to Australian-based consortium is the local presenter of the known as Falun Dafa), since eliminate Falun Gong, Jiang had a contract to supply China New York-based Yun gives voice to the persecution of Falun Gong implemented a massive media with liquefied natural gas worth Performing Arts on its annual began in China in July 1999. operation to demonise Falun up to $25 billion. The issuing global tour. the values of It is not widely known Gong to all levels of society of Mr. Downer’s certificates did Shen Yun’s efforts to revive that Falun Gong was initially throughout China. not cease until December 2006, China’s traditional culture, our democracy supported by the Chinese In addition, Jiang also after a legal challenge by Falun which is in essence a culture of government following its directed Chinese Embassy Gong practitioners in the ACT cultivation of one’s inner self and way of public introduction by Mr Li and Consular staff to spread Supreme Court proved a success. within the lineage of Buddhist, Hongzhi in 1992. The teachings the official anti-Falun Gong State Members of Parliament Taoist and Confucian teachings, life, despite of Falun Gong emphasize propaganda to government have also been directly pressured has met with ongoing harassment protestations ethical behaviour, high moral leaders and influential by Chinese Consulates in from the Chinese Communist standards, personal growth, people throughout the world, Australia to not have any contact regime. This is because Shen from a foreign and responsibility for one’s own extending the persecution with Falun Gong. Yun presents the spiritual depth actions. In December 1993 outside of China. In 2007, The Age newspaper of traditional power, then in Melbourne reported that which the Chinese Communist in August 2006 Victor Perton, Party has sought to eliminate, Australia may PHOTO: SUPPLIED a Liberal member of State and because Shen Yun was Parliament at the time, had established in 2006 by artists prosper on its sent an email to all 128 state who practised Falun Dafa. MPs, inviting them to a briefing The Chinese Embassy and own terms. on a report about allegations Consulates in Australia also of organ harvesting in China. pressure Members of Parliament Within hours, the Chinese and theatre managers around Consul-General in Melbourne, Australia not to attend or accept Liang Shugen, apparently had bookings for Shen Yun shows. a copy of Perton’s email. What In March 2008, The Age surprised Perton was that reported that the Chinese one of his colleagues would Consul-General in Melbourne send his email straight to the wrote to Victorian politicians Consul-General and that the urging them not to accept Consul-General then sent an invitations to see the classical email to all state MPs, pressing Chinese dance performance Shen them not to attend the briefing. Yun and stated, “In view of the

16 2017 Vision Times Special Edition PHOTO: SUPPLIED good relations between China of Peaceful Reunification of HUMAN RIGHTS AND truly good in human life. If the and Victoria it’s my sincere Nine State China is one of many overseas POLITICS sole focus is on making money hope that you will not attend MP’s, who had branches of the China Council In Australia, human rights are we may end up rationalising the performance and will also for the Promotion of Peaceful a legitimate area of political any behaviour no matter how avoid any future contact with previously National Reunification, debate, and indeed a current immoral it is, or who is hurt in the Falun Gong and its affiliates.” which was established by the focus with Australia’s bid for a process. Consider the explosion of In 2010 and 2014 the Chinese confirmed their Chinese Communist Party seat on the UN Human Rights the billion-dollar organ harvesting Consulate in Sydney issued Central United Front Work Council in 2018. In China, only and transplant industry in China press releases to other Consuls- attendance, then Department and the Chinese the Communist Party decides under the Chinese Communist General and NSW MPs titled People’s Political Consultative on matters of politics and Party’s control. Facts about Falun Gong and the cancelled after Conference. labels any group that exposes If as a nation, Australia so-called “Shen Yun Performing Most Australians would its human rights abuses as an focuses on an ethical and moral Arts,” deriding Shen Yun and receipt of the not realise that the United “anti-China political group.” base for trade, and gives voice to labelling it a political tool of Consul General’s Front Work Department has a Conflating the Chinesethe values of our democracy and Falun Gong. high place within the Chinese Communist Party with China, way of life, despite protestations More recently, two Chinese letter. Communist Party hierarchy the nation and the people, is from a foreign power, then Communist Party propaganda under the Chinese Communist one of the greatest deceptions Australia may prosper on its articles against Shen Yun Party Central Committee. In the Chinese government own terms. appeared in the (paid) addition to its role within China has committed against the The human rights China Daily supplement in it is tasked with developing long-suffering Chinese people. challenges facing Falun Gong Melbourne’s The Age newspaper political and business ties Falun Gong practitioners practitioners, both in China and on January 13, 2017. overseas, and trying to care about the people of China in Australia, are an important influence foreign nationals to and the people of Australia. part of the conversation about PRESSURE BY PROFIT accept the Chinese Communist Over the past 18 years, we how Australia-China relations In addition to formal pressure Party’s views. have learnt a lot about the will develop, and what sort of from Chinese authorities, the In an article in The machinations of the Chinese future Australians want for impact of Chinese business Conversation in June this year, Communist Party, and we are their country. tycoons with reported links to Associate Professor Feng seriously concerned that the the Chinese Communist Party Chongyi, of the University of Australian government has not has been felt since the year 2000. Technology, Sydney, described fully understood the threat that The 2017 Four Corners-Fairfax the united front strategy as accompanies engagement with investigation referred to secret having two parts, “One is the Chinese Communist Party John Deller is the Honorary briefings by ASIO’s Director- unity among friends under and its envoys. Secretary of the Falun Dafa General Duncan Lewis in 2015 the leadership of the Chinese We acknowledge that Association of Australia Inc. For to senior officials in the Liberal, Communist Party. The other in China there are good more information visit: www.falundafa.org National and Labor parties, is the life-and-death struggle people who want to end the warning them about accepting against enemies of the state.” persecution of Falun Gong. To read the Investigative Report foreign-sourced political Tragically,peaceful, meditative How can Australia help? The on the Control of Overseas donations. Falun Gong practitioners have same way Australia can help Chinese and the Implementation It is well-documented, even been cast as ‘enemies of the state’ protect the people of Australia of Global United Front Strategy on Chinese Communist Party under the Chinese Communist from a corrupting Chinese by the Chinese Communist websites, that the Australian Party’s campaign to eliminate Communist Party influence. Regime: www.upholdjustice.org/ Council for the Promotion them. Stop and consider what is node/181

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