(Clearwisdom.net) On October 17, 2006, Falun Gong practitioners from Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane held a rally and anti-torture exhibition in front of Parliament House in Canberra. They called on the Australian government to pay attention to the CCP's atrocities of organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners and take to measures to stop this crime against humanity.

Quite a few political and community leaders attended the rally and gave speeches to call for an end of the persecution of Falun Gong and an investigation into the CCP's crime of live organ removal. They also made requests for more effective means to pressure the CCP into stopping the persecution, and urged the international community to pay attention to the issue and make sure human rights won't be overshadowed by trade and sports.

Reenactment to expose the CCP's atrocity of live organ removal

Calling for an end of the CCP's atrocity of live organ removal in front of Australia's Parliament House

Dr. Carmen Lawrence gives a speech

Senator Andrew Barlett

Senator Kerry Nettle

MP Chris Bowen accepts 14,000 signatures

Sister Jane Keogh from Refugee Action Committee, a human rights organization

Vietnam community leader Bich Pha

Director of Vietnamese Radio Station

Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Carmen Lawrence, MP Chris Bowen, Senator Andrew Barlett, Senator Kerry Nettle, Sister Jane Keogh of Refugee Action Committee, Vietnam community leader Bich Pha, and the director of a Vietnamese radio station attended the rally and gave speeches. Senator Trish Crossin and her legislative assistant attended the rally and signed in support. One member of the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong also wrote to express his support and called for an immediate end to CCP's brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.

In her speech at the rally, MP Dr. Carmen Lawrence called on people to pay attention to the persecution of Falun Gong in China. She reminded everyone to read the details and analysis in the Canadian independent investigation report on the CCP's live organ removal. She thought that human rights observers and all others should expose China's poor human rights record before the Olympic Games. All the CCP's crimes of live organ removal from living Falun Gong practitioners and selling for profit must be stopped and condemned.

Dr. Lawrence said to the practitioners at the rally, "I join with you in protesting strongly the mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners in wanting to draw the attention of the global community to what is happening in China and to ensure that trade and sport don't overshadow human rights. The protection of human rights in China must be the foremost consideration of all the members of the Parliament seated here today."

Senator Andrew Barlett said, "A significant number of people in Parliament have a deep and strong concern about the extremely serious human rights abuses and allegations that are occurring. They are looking at ways to further pressure the Chinese government to change its ways and looking at opportunities to draw more attention to the reality of what is happening. This is something that affects Australia and Australians. It is not something that we just can forget about it and pretend that it is happening in another part of the world."

Senator Kerry Nettle said, "Just today the leader of the Greens, Bob Brown, was calling on the Australian government to do what it can to stop Australians from going to China for organ transplants until this issue of whether they are Falun Gong practitioners or others being executed for their organs is resolved. Until that issue is dealt with, the Australian government needs to show that Australians are not being caught up in this horrendous trade that is leading to the death of so many people."

After his speech, MP Chris Bowen accepted the petition with 14,000 Australian signatures from the practitioners. The petition called on the Australian government to immediately investigate the CCP's atrocities of live organ removal and stop the persecution. He said he would convey the Australian voices to the Parliament.

Senator Trish Crossin and her legislative assistant also came to the rally and signed a petition letter in support.

In August, Mr. Kilgour, former Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) for Canada, and Mr. McMillan-Scott, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, held various hearings in the Australian Parliament and local assemblies on their "Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China." Their hearings not only caught the attention of Australian mainstream media, which carried special reports, but also won active response from Australian political parties. The Australian government and its opposition reached an agreement to support an investigation into the CCP's organ harvesting from living Falun Gong practitioners.

The rally concluded at 3 p.m.