Fed: Lawyer pushes government to take action against China

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2004
Fed: Lawyer pushes government to take action against China

A Gold Coast lawyer is pressuring the federal government to take China to court over
human rights violations against an Australian woman.

CHRIS NYST says Sydney woman CUI-YING ZHANG, who's 41, was imprisoned in a Chinese
jail for nine months without trial in 2000, despite her Australian citizenship.

He says Ms ZHANG was denied access to the Australian Consulate for prolonged periods
of time and was allegedly physically assaulted, sleep deprived and interrogated.

He says that's a breach of the Vienna Convention governing human rights to which China
is a signatory.

Ms ZHANG has never been told why she was imprisoned, but she believes it was because
she's a member of Falungong, a spiritual group outlawed in China.

Mr NYST has written to Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER and Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD,
stating Ms ZHANG'S case and asking for action.

Eminent human rights lawyer GEOFFREY ROBERTSON has also assisted with the preparation
of a submission now lodged with the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

AAP RTV am/sc/rgr/rp

KEYWORD: ZHANG (BRISBANE)

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