When Debbie Wang was a child, her father made the life-altering decision 30 years ago to move the family from Taiwan to Australia—convinced the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) threat of invasion was only a matter of time.
And on Oct. 1—the date the People’s Republic of China was officially established—Wang stood before Sydney' Town Hall to warn Australians to be vigilant about the threat of the CCP.
“Today is not a day to celebrate but a day of mourning,” Wang told the audience in Mandarin. “Today, as someone born in Taiwan, I am filled with mixed emotions standing here with all of you.”
“We are in the Southern Hemisphere, in beautiful Australia. On this day, we are not at home enjoying family time, not in the park basking in the sun, drinking coffee, or doing things we love, but instead, standing on the streets—voicing the pain in our hearts.
“What kind of persecution forces people to leave their homeland?
“What kind of regime denies people even the freedom to live and establish themselves?”
Wang said her entire family migrated to Australia from Taiwan over 30 years ago.
“Because my father was worried that the CCP would attack Taiwan,” she said.
“This is not an overblown fear, but a father’s deep understanding of the nature of totalitarianism.”
Wang is from the Australian Taiwanese Friendship Association. She was joined by members of the Falun Gong community, pro-democratic Chinese, Hong Kongers, Tibetans, and Uyghurs in commemorating the “Vigil on the Fall of China”—a counter movement against the CCP’s national holiday.
Young Tibetan Arrested for Singing
Dawa Sangmo, from the Tibet Information Office, said groups that have been oppressed should never remain silent.
“Today is Oct. 1. In the mouths of some, this day is called ‘National Day’; But for us—Tibetan exiles, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and Chinese democracy advocates—it reminds us that the nation is not the same as the regime, and the regime is not the same as the people,” she said in her speech.
Sangmo referred to two recent cases of Tibetans being arrested in mainland China.
One is Tzukte, a young Tibetan singer and activist popularly known as “Asang,” was sentenced to prison in July for singing a song praising the Dalai Lama.
“One song, and it is considered a threat. In the eyes of that regime, even a melody becomes a ‘weapon’ that requires censorship,” said Sangmo.
“But in our hearts, Asang’s voice transforms into another kind of power—it reminds the world that within high walls, there are still people praying for freedom through musical notes.”
The other case involves Zhang Yadi, a 22-year-old Han Chinese girl who is an outspoken advocate for Tibetans and ethnic minorities.
While planning to pursue a degree in the UK, Zhang was arrested by Chinese authorities in July during a visit to her family and has since lost contact. She is believed to be detained in a facility in her hometown of Changsha, the capital city of central Hunan Province, on suspicion of “inciting separatism.”
“Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and Chinese democracy advocates—Though we come from different lands and speak different languages, our fates have long been tied together by the same tyranny,” said Sangmo.
“They fear our unity, because unity means the truth will be spoken; They silence our voices, because they know our stories will awaken the world.”
While the rally was ongoing, a group of Chinese youths interrupted.
During the disruption, one man shouted “Xi Jinping is the best leader in the world! [May] Xi Jinping dominate Australia soon.”
Another said, “My grandfather is a general in the Tibet Military District. If you touch me today, it will become an international issue.”
450 Million Chinese Quit CCP
John Deller, representative of the Falun Dafa Association of Australia, said the persecution against Falun Gong continues.
“Many of you know that it was practiced in China, first taught there publicly in 1992 and since then, it was over 70 million to 100 million people practicing. [It’s a] traditional Chinese qigong following the principles of [truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance],” he introduced.
“Of course, in China, that’s the opposite of what the Communist Party wants. That’s the opposite of what the Communist Party stands for. So of course, they’re going to attempt to stamp out Falun Gong.”
In response to Beijing’s consistent human rights abuses, a grassroots movement was launched encouraging Chinese people to resign their CCP membership—the CCP maintains membership registries for its three organisations: the party itself, the Youth League, and the Young Pioneers.
To date, over 452 million Chinese people have registered their resignation online.
“The best way to get rid of the Communist Party is for all the Chinese people to stop agreeing with it, stop following it, to stand up. And that’s what the Chinese people are doing, and they will do more,” Deller said.
