While visiting family members in Yongan, Mr. Chan Wing Yuen, then a 70-year-old man, was arrested on 12 December 2001 for displaying a small banner in a street that read “Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance”

I urge you to assist in the release of Ms Li from the re-education labour camp and thus permit her to continue with the processing of her spouse visa application in the public interest of the Australian citizen spouse visa sponsor.

Practitioners made two extensive trips along the East Coast of Queensland, Australia during 2002 and gave Queensland’s Members of State and Local Parliaments, Town Councillors and their communities a grand opportunity to share with Falun Dafa practitioners.

The Government also believes that China’s maltreatment of Falun Gong practitioners – including relatives of Australian citizens – contravenes the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which China has signed, but not yet ratified, and the Convention Against Torture.

It is important for people to realise that the Chinese Government continues to support a crackdown on a range of political movements, particularly Falun Gong.

On New Year’s Eve of each year, tens of thousands of citizens would gather to watch the show. The local practitioners decided to utilize this opportunity to demonstrate the Falun Gong exercises and distribute truth-clarifying materials by the Yarra River. Practitioners also wanted to welcome the New Year in such a meaningful way.

At one particular school her class consists of all mainland Chinese students who recently arrived in Australia. She said she feels sorry for them as she can see how they are suppressed and how they are “brainwashed” in China.

Since China joined the World Trade Organisation, it is meant to be trying to attain international standards in how it is operates its judiciary. The proposed changes to Article 23 of Basic Law in Hong Kong do not seem to be a step in that direction.

Li was having dinner at a McDonald’s when the program went on the air, and a number of people walked up to him and shook his hand, telling him that they had just learned about his story on TV and wishing him all the success.

I was also eager to keep my mother company. But the Chinese consulate delayed my visa; and as a result my mother and I were not able to see each other for the last time.

We ask that you please be alert to the potential for abuse in this proposed legislation where the totalitarian regime of the mainland can instill fear into the people of Hong Kong when anyone who criticizes the central government could be prosecuted for “treason” and “sedition”.

The proposed legislation will cover a range of complicated and sensitive issues. We look to the Hong Kong Government to allow sufficient opportunity and time for full public consultation to allay concerns that basic freedoms will be affected, and to enable balanced and carefully drafted legislation to emerge.