FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nobel Peace Prize nominee joins Canberra rally as Senate inquiry puts foreign interference under spotlight
Event details
- What: Rally and speeches – transnational repression and foreign interference
- When: Monday 14 September 2026, 11am to 12pm
- Where: Parliament House lawn, Canberra
CANBERRA – (Falun Dafa Association of Australia) International human rights lawyer and Nobel Peace Prize nominee David Matas will join Australians affected by transnational repression at a rally outside Parliament House on Monday, as a new Senate inquiry puts foreign interference on Australian soil under national scrutiny.
The rally comes just days after the Senate agreed to establish Australia’s first parliamentary inquiry dedicated specifically to transnational repression and foreign interference.
Referred to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee on 8 September, the inquiry will examine the scale and methods of transnational repression in Australia, its impact on diaspora communities and democratic participation, and whether existing laws and protections are adequate. Submissions close on 19 October 2026, with the committee due to report by 31 May 2027.
Senator David Shoebridge, who secured the referral, said on X following the Senate vote:
‘We will now get to hear from communities facing threats and oppression from foreign Governments.’
Foreign interference has no place in Australia
The Falun Dafa Association of Australia says Australians who have fled or spoken out against persecution by the foreign governments should not have to fear that repression will follow them to Australia.
‘The Chinese Communist Party should not be allowed to intimidate or silence Australian people for their personal beliefs or views. This is a serious threat to Australian values and national security. Australian policies and activities must be governed by Australian laws and democratic values – not by the censorship and repression of a foreign authoritarian regime. It is important for all of us to speak up and protect our communities from such foreign interference,’ Lucy Zhao, President of the Falun Dafa Association of Australia said.
‘This inquiry is an important opportunity to hear directly from communities affected by transnational repression and to determine if Australia has the laws, protections and enforcement mechanisms needed to stop it.’
Recent threats highlight concerns in Australia
In November 2025, organisers of a Sydney screening of State Organs – a documentary examining forced organ harvesting in China – received a bomb threat and a subsequent warning of violence if the screening proceeded. NSW Police were notified.
In February 2026, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was temporarily evacuated from The Lodge after a threatening email falsely claimed explosives had been planted around the residence and demanded that performances by Shen Yun Performing Arts be stopped.
Shen Yun is associated with practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice persecuted by the CCP since 1999.
While responsibility for these individual threats has not been publicly established, the Falun Dafa Association says incidents of this kind contribute to a wider climate of fear and interference experienced by communities that criticise or oppose the CCP.
Last month, Tibetan, Uyghur and Falun Gong communities and human rights advocates also gathered outside Parliament House calling for stronger action against transnational repression.
David Matas to address Canberra rally
Monday’s rally will be addressed by Canadian human rights lawyer David Matas, who was nominated with the late Canadian parliamentarian David Kilgour for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for their investigation into forced organ harvesting in China.
Mr Matas is no stranger to concerns about transnational repression himself. In October 2025, he was formally invited to deliver an oral presentation at the Transplant Nurses’ Association national conference in Brisbane. The speaking invitation was later withdrawn, despite having been accepted and scheduled.
He has also described other occasions during visits to Australia where events involving his work have been cancelled, disrupted or subjected to pressure, and being subject to intimidation over the phone or online.
Background: forced organ harvesting
Since 1999, the CCP has waged a campaign of persecution against Falun Gong practitioners. Investigations by Matas and Kilgour, followed by the independent China Tribunal chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, concluded that forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience has occurred in China.
The China Tribunal found in 2019 that forced organ harvesting had occurred for years on a significant scale and concluded that Falun Gong practitioners were probably the principal source of organs. Research examined by investigators estimated China was performing between 60,000 and 90,000 transplant operations each year, far exceeding official figures.
These findings have contributed to legislation in several countries addressing organ trafficking and transplant tourism. Australia has yet to enact equivalent national legislation specifically addressing Australians travelling overseas for illicit organ transplants.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
David Matas is available for television, radio, print, online and podcast interviews in Canberra.
Representatives of affected Australian communities and people with first-hand experience of transnational repressions are also available for interview.
Media contact:
Dr Lucy Zhao 0404 988 789
