感谢您于2001年4月18日转交的您的选民罗女士有关法轮功的来信。

如您所知，我们对教导或练习法轮功不作任何评论。然而，我们却对中国政府对待法轮功学员中的人权问题深表关注。

我对罗女士及其家庭的遭遇深表同情。中国政府拒绝她母亲出国的做法显然违反了全球人权声明和国际公民及政治权利公约。中国已在此声明及公约上签字，但尚未正式签署后一项协议。由于我所负责的部门已收到其他有关中国政府阻止澳洲居民的亲属行使国际认可的人权报告，我部官员将尽快向中国提出此问题。

请转达我对您的选民罗女士之来信表示感谢。

您真诚的唐纳. 亚利山大
2001年5月22日

附：原件：
22 May, 2001
Dear Prime Minister

Thank you for your letter dated 18 April 2001 passing on representations made by your constituent, Ms Serene Luo, of Marsfield, NSW, about Falungong.

As you would know, we take no position on the teachings or practices of Falungong. We are concerned, however, about the human rights aspects of the Chinese Government’s treatment of Falungong practitioners in China.

I deeply sympathise with the plight of Ms Luo and her family. The apparent refusal of the Chinese Government to allow her mother to exit the country is a breach of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. China has signed, but not yet ratified the latter. As my Department has received other reports of the Chinese Government failing to allow relatives of Australian citizens to exercise this internationally recognized human rights, officers of my Department will raise this issue with the Chinese soon.

Please thank your constituent, Ms Luo for her letter.

Yours Sincerely
Alexander Downer

澳洲总理致法轮功学员的回信

亲爱的罗女士，

感谢您于2001年3月9日寄来的有关您家庭在法轮功事件中的遭遇的来信。我很抱歉耽误了这么久才回信。

我对您的家庭不能在您的孩子出世之际团聚（在澳洲）表示遗憾。我想向您保证的是，我的政府对于中国政府处理法轮功的问题非常重视，并已向中国政府的代表提出了我们的关注。澳洲高级官员已明确表示了这一点，其中包括去年八月在堪培拉举行的中澳双边人权对话。

我的政府亦正试图通过技术辅助计划以寻求帮助中国改进人权状况的途径。该计划项目重点在于向中国政府提供可行的能为中国处理人权问题带来实质性改进的方法，其中包括法轮功修炼者的人权问题。

澳洲将继续用一切适当的机会敦促中国改进对法轮功问题的处理方式。

您真诚的

约翰. 霍华德
2001年5月30日

附 原件:
30 May 2001
Dear Ms Luo

Thank you for your letter of 9 March 2001 about your family’s involvement in the Falun Gong movement. I regret the delay in replying.

I regret to read that your family was unable to be together for the birth of your baby. I want to assure you that my government is very concerned by China’s treatment of Falun Gong practitioners and has raised these concerns with representatives of the Chinese government. Senior Australian officials have expressed unequivocally the government’s concern to Chinese representatives, including during our bilateral human rights dialogue with China in Canberra in August last year.

My government is also seeking to help China improve its approach to human rights through a technical assistance programme. This programme is focused on delivering practical and real changes to China’s handling of human rights cases, including those related to Falun Gong practitioners.

Australia will continue to urge China improve it s approach to the Falun Gong at every appropriate opportunity.

Yours sincerely

(John Howard)