China and Human Rights
Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes: From an early age I was deeply moved by the plight of persecuted Christians in China under the Communist regime, which came to power in 1948. As a teenager, I prayed for them and was not able to do much more than that until 1997 and 1998. Then, with help from the Bible League, my wife and I joined a group that smuggled thousands of Bibles into China for the underground Christian church. Although border guards caught some members of our group, we got through and travelled by train the length and breadth of China, delivering Bibles to persecuted Christians. A number of my books have been published in Chinese and more than 1.5 million have been sold in China.
Many Chinese Christians remain in prison and slave labour camps making products that are sold in our chain stores. Their wives and children are left behind to face poverty. While travelling through China I discovered Christians were not the only group suffering persecution. Members of a religious cult known as the Falun Gong were also being persecuted. Since then I have worked for their human rights as well. That persecution took another sickening step when reports—which were later verified at the highest level in the United Nations—were published in the West claiming that human body parts, including kidneys, corneas, livers, hearts and lungs, had been taken from many of these persecuted prisoners and sold by the Government mainly to wealthy Western people who had ordered the parts. The bodies of the unwilling donors were cremated immediately.
The Global Human Rights Torch Relay inspired by the Olympic torch relay was lit in Greece on Thursday 9 August 2007. The relay is travelling around the world to put human rights on the agenda in the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. More than 100 cities will take part in the torch relay that will span five continents. Sydney was recently the location of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Some of us were determined that its agenda should be broadened from trade and economics to include human rights. This was an opportunity of inestimable strategic value that offered immense public and international exposure. We organised a huge protest march through the streets of Sydney that was attended by thousands of people. We were surrounded by a massive police presence but there was no violence as occurred with other protests during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. It was a successful and peaceful protest.
On Wednesday 5 September I had the privilege of presenting humanitarian awards in memory of many who had died in prison in China. I also hosted a free public forum themed “Balancing the Scales with China” at Parliament House. International experts discussed current issues that have global repercussions, in particular, the harvesting of organs. More than 500 people attended the three public forums held throughout the day in Parliament House, and we received considerable media publicity from both Australian and international press. At the forum I said:
“This forum is available to all members of the public and is not in opposition to APEC. Rather, it is an opportunity to raise issues that are not—but should be—on the APEC agenda. China is Australia’s biggest trading partner and their human rights record should be addressed at this time. This is an opportunity to give voice to those who are persecuted and denied the basic human rights in China. If Australia is serious about upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights we should use this opportunity”.
International expert speakers presented a horrifying litany of human rights abuses occurring in China today. It was little wonder that a week before the President of China arrived in Sydney the Chinese embassy sent high-level officials to the Parliament to put immense pressure upon the Premier and the President of this Parliament to stop the protest. Both—and I commend the President for this—refused to do so. It is a 600-year right of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy that concerned citizens have the right to enter Parliament House to discuss matters of concern with their parliamentarian. This is what is not allowed in China. During our protest Chinese men in suits videoed and photographed everyone participating.
Thank God we are free to discuss important values such as human rights and protest against the escalation of violence and fear in order to restore and to maintain the principles of democracy and human rights, especially to our largest trading partner. As a Christian, I care about all human rights including the religious sect called the Falun Gong. It is time for people concerned with human rights, particularly the abuses of political prisoners in China, to stand up and to speak out. I place on record my appreciation for the President for standing up against the pressure brought by the Chinese embassy to have these meetings and protests held in this Parliament stopped. Thank you, sir. 27 September 2007.