Dear fellow Australians:

Australia is known as the 'lucky country', not only because it is built upon the principles of freedom, democracy, free speech and a fair go for all, but because it continues to prosper economically, while remaining relatively free of the terror and violence that afflicts much of our world.

In the wake of many terrorist acts in the recent past, we tell our children that violence, oppression and killing can never be tolerated, but unfortunately there are people still living in fear of violence and oppression from totalitarian regimes. One such regime rules China, which despite its economic advances for a favoured few, has been described as "a major human rights scoundrel" by the United Nations Commission for Human Rights.

We are happy to trade with the Chinese people, but we do want to emphasize that decent and just trade should not be conditional upon appeasing a brutal communist dictatorship. We welcome the healthy and harmonized multicultural society in our country. We should not accept blackmail from the Chinese communist regime that has killed 80 million of its own citizens in its 56 year rule of terror.

Falun Gong practitioners, who adhere to the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance", would be valued citizens of most democratic countries, but are seen as a threat to the corrupt dictatorship of the Chinese communist regime.

Sadly, on 16th March 2002, the day before the Chinese Foreign Minister arrived in Canberra, Mr Alexander Downer, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, signed "certificates" declaring that Falun Gong practitioners holding banners at the Chinese Embassy "impairs the dignity" of the (Chinese) mission. The certificates restrict banners and audio, as well as signage on cars parked in the vicinity of the Embassy by Falun Gong practitioners. The certificate is effective for 30 days, but Mr Downer has continued signing certificates each month for 43 months. At same time, Mr Downer is fully aware that 100's of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are being tortured in forced labour camps, jails and illegal detention centres, and forced into psychiatric hospitals, etc. in China. And thousands have been tortured to death.

Why does Mr Downer make such an executive decision, without debate in Parliament? We believe that Mr Downer is destroying Australia's dignity and the human rights principles for which Australians have fought and died, by appeasing the murderous CCP regime for the sake of trade.

During the restrictions by Mr. Downer, 1927 Falun Gong practitioners including many relatives of Australians have been tortured to death.
Gao Rongrong, a 37 years old Falun Gong practitioner, was tortured on her face with an electric baton for 7 hours, and after further torture, she later died. The following torture methods have killed more than 3000, and are still being used on over 100,000 FG practitioners in the labour camps in China: high voltage electric shock, sexual abuse; tearing the 4 limbs apart; force feeding; drug testing and poisoning; beating, locked up in black box for days, slave labour work, and forced brain washing...

The principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance", are what we need urgently in this violent world. These principles totally deny any form of violence and form the basis for a civilized and spiritual society.

We, the undersigned, declare that we expect our government to protect the proud traditions of free speech, and freedom of expression, for this, and future generations of Australians. Mr Downer, we have not built this country, to become a colony of a brutal, foreign dictatorship that has no respect for human rights, and we will not sign our human rights away for a few pieces of silver.

Please stop issuing the certificates which restrict Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful appeal in front of the Chinese Embassy. It is not "an impairment of dignity" to tell a murderer to "stop killing"!

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Supporter's Name, Signature & Date

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Profession/Organization, City and State

Please fax your signed paper to 02 9516 0628, 02 9686 8359 or Email to: editor@falunau.org
(This form can be downloaded from http://www.falunau.org)