“There is a lot of sensitivity around visits from leading Chinese government officials,” said Dr Russell Norman, Green Party co-leader.
Dr Norman rose in defence of Falun Gong practitioners who were told to take down their banners just before the Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu and several Chinese Vice Ministers arrived at Parliament.
The Vice Premier, the second-ranked of China’s four Vice Premiers and a member of China’s Politburo, is the most senior Chinese official visitor to New Zealand this year.
The official Chinese delegation was in New Zealand last Tuesday, September 27, for the signing of several bilateral arrangements as well as commercial deals.
Joan Zhang, one of five Falun Gong protesters, said in spite of making extensive enquiries, including at the Department of Internal Affairs, she was unable to find out the arrival time of the delegation and two permits she had obtained had lapsed before the Vice Premier’s arrival.
Every effort was made to get another permit, but Ms Zhang was told that the two permits had already been issued and that they would not be given another.
“When we heard that the Vice Premier would be visiting Wellington, we requested a permit to display our banners in the grounds of Parliament...but the entourage was late in arriving. I feel that extending our permission was a reasonable request,” said Ms Zhang.
The large crowd of supporters from the Chinese community who converged on Parliament just before the entourage arrived were also told by security to put down their banners, Ms Zhang said.
Dr Norman slammed the decision to put banners away saying New Zealand was “a free and democratic country, and free speech is a fundamental part of our democracy.”
He stated people should be free to hold banners and express their views in the grounds of Parliament.
Ms Zhang with four others wanted to call attention to the 11 years of severe persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China by the Chinese Communist Party, including the stealing of body parts from the living for trade.
Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese meditation practice made public in 1992. It’s health promoting benefits were so well publicised that by 1999 nearly 100 million people were practising until it was banned that year by then president, Jiang Zemin
Dr Norman rose in defence of Falun Gong practitioners who were told to take down their banners just before the Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu and several Chinese Vice Ministers arrived at Parliament.
The Vice Premier, the second-ranked of China’s four Vice Premiers and a member of China’s Politburo, is the most senior Chinese official visitor to New Zealand this year.
The official Chinese delegation was in New Zealand last Tuesday, September 27, for the signing of several bilateral arrangements as well as commercial deals.
Joan Zhang, one of five Falun Gong protesters, said in spite of making extensive enquiries, including at the Department of Internal Affairs, she was unable to find out the arrival time of the delegation and two permits she had obtained had lapsed before the Vice Premier’s arrival.
Every effort was made to get another permit, but Ms Zhang was told that the two permits had already been issued and that they would not be given another.
“When we heard that the Vice Premier would be visiting Wellington, we requested a permit to display our banners in the grounds of Parliament...but the entourage was late in arriving. I feel that extending our permission was a reasonable request,” said Ms Zhang.
The large crowd of supporters from the Chinese community who converged on Parliament just before the entourage arrived were also told by security to put down their banners, Ms Zhang said.
Dr Norman slammed the decision to put banners away saying New Zealand was “a free and democratic country, and free speech is a fundamental part of our democracy.”
He stated people should be free to hold banners and express their views in the grounds of Parliament.
Ms Zhang with four others wanted to call attention to the 11 years of severe persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China by the Chinese Communist Party, including the stealing of body parts from the living for trade.
Falun Gong is an ancient Chinese meditation practice made public in 1992. It’s health promoting benefits were so well publicised that by 1999 nearly 100 million people were practising until it was banned that year by then president, Jiang Zemin
