Subject: IFCSS HQ NR-4022: The Safety of CSS in Australia

From: IFCSS HQ <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 92 18:13:25 -0400

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IFCSS Headquarters News Release No. 4022    September 18, 1992
             THE SAFETY OF CSS IN AUSTRALIA
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Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS)
   733 15th Street, N.W., Suite 440, Washington, D.C.20005
         Tel. (202)347-0017  Fax: (202)347-0018
                Email: [email-masked]

             The Safety of CSS in Australia
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Dear IFCSS Members:

    Since June 1989, the Chinese students and nationals in
Australia have been under the protection of Australian 
Government. Recently, however, a government committee has
recommended to the Australian Parliement which would reverse
the protection policy. Under the proposed new policies, only
a small number of people would be granted Permanent Resident
status, and the rest would be sent back to China. This is
clearly a contradiction to the repeated pledges of Australian 
Government that no Chinese students and nationals would
be forced to return against their will.

    The National Union of Chinese Students and Scholars in
Australia along with other organizations has planned a mass
meeting for Saturday, September 19. Yesterday, the Union
sent an urgent call for help through email to the IFCSS HQ.

    Today, a letter from IFCSS President Geng Xiao to
Australian Prime Minister Mr. Paul Keating expressing our
concern over the safety of Chinese students and nationals
in Australia. The letter has also been sent to the Union in
Australia, Australian Parliement and Australian Embassador
to the United States.

    As the General Coordinator of the Global Chinese Student
and Scholars Federation, Geng Xiao has also urged members
of the Federation in other countries to take propriate
actions to support our fellow students and countrymen in
Australia.

    The letter to Australian Prime Minister is attached below.

Enclusure
==============================================================

                                September 17, 1992 
 
The Honorable Paul Keating 
Prime Minister of Australia 
 
Dear Prime Minister Keating: 
 
      As the General Coordinator of the Global Federation of
Chinese Students and Scholars and as the President of the IFCSS,
the national organization representing Chinese students and
scholars in the United States, I am writing to you to express our 
concern over the fate of our fellow students and fellow countrymen
in Australia. 
 
      Since the military crackdown of the pro-democracy movement
in 1989, the Australian Govenment has placed the Chinese students
and nationals in Australia under its protection, which has won wide
applauses from the international community as well as good feelings
from the Chinese communities in the whole world.  
 
      However, a recent report to the Australian Parliement by the
Immigration Legislation Committee of Australia has caused
wide-spread fear and anxiety among the community of Chinese
nationals and students in Australia, which have played an active
role in the post-Tiananmen pro-democracy movement outside China.
If the recommendations made by the majority of the committee were
accepted by the Parliement, a larger number of our fellow
countrymen would be forced to return to China against their will
and many of them would face political persecution upon their 
return. That would be a clear contradiction to the commitment to
the safety of Chinese students and nationals in Australia pledged
repeatedly by the Australian Government. 
 
      We hope that the Australian Government would adopt the
recommendations proposed by Dr. Andrew Theophanous, Chairman of the
above mentioned committee, in his Dissenting Report. We also hope
that the Australian Government would make public announcement to
re-assure the community of Chinese students and nationals that at
no stage should they be forced to return against their will. 
 
      Enclosed are three documents for your reference: 1. The
Statement of IFCSS on the Return of Chinese Students to China; 2.
The Statement of IFCSS on the Arrest of Shen Tong; 3. The Text of
the 1992 Chinese Students Protection Bill as it was passed by 
the United States Senate in May 1992. 
 
Thank you very much for your attention. 
 
Sincerely, 

Geng Xiao 
General Coordinator, the Global Federation of Chinese Students and
Scholars, and 
President, the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and
Scholars in the U.S. 

Enclosure 

CC: The House of Representatives, Parliement of Australia 
    The Senate, Parliement of Australia 
    The Embassador of Australia to the United States 
    The National Union of Chinese Students and Scholars in
Australia 
    Members of the Global Federation of Chinese Students and
Scholars 
    IFCSS Council

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         IFCSS Headquarters Office    Signature
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