FALUN Gong practitioners stopped in Sale on Tuesday last week as part of a tour to more than 200 Australian cities, spreading the message of what they say are disturbing human rights abuses in China.
The SOS Car Tour aims to bring awareness to the alleged persecution, torture and state-sanctioned forced live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners.
Among the travellers was Falun Gong practitioner Yuan An, a torture victim who fled China two years ago.
While in prison, Yuan said she was blood tested and tortured, and refused to eat in order to malnourish her organs to save her from harvesting.
She cannot return to her hometown in China or be reunited with her family, for fear of being prosecuted or killed.
Yuan said she was grateful to be welcomed into Australia, where she is allowed to believe what she wants.
Falun Dafa Association Australia president Lucy Zhao hoped the car tour would educate Australians about the atrocities of forced live organ harvesting.
“We realise that most Australians know little about Falun Gong and the tragic situation in China,” Dr Zhao said.
Similar to Tai Chi, Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa), is a Chinese spiritual practice based on truth, compassion and forbearance, combining meditation and qigong exercise.
It has been outlawed in China since 1999, chiefly because of its potential to be a threat to the state because of its size, independence and spiritual teachings.
For more information, visit www.faluninfo.net or www.stoporganharvesting.org
