Human Rights Torch coming to Toowoomba - New Release: 31 August 2007

News Release

For Immediate Release

31 August 2007

Human Rights Torch coming to Toowoomba

The Global Human Rights Torch lit in Athens in early August is coming to Toowoomba to raise awareness of China's continued human rights violations that also breach the Olympic charter.

The torch relay will stop in Toowoomba on Thursday, 1 November 2007. As it travels around the world, it is hoped that the relay will raise enough awareness that world leaders will apply pressure on China's ruling regime to end human rights violations against political and religious prisoners of conscience.

Spokesperson for the Global Human Rights Torch – Toowoomba Network, Emmy Pfister said Beijing still carries out systematic organ harvesting on some people.

“Falun Gong followers, members of the underground Christian Church, Chinese defectors and pro-democracy activists face persecution, imprisonment and torture.

“To make matters worse, as the Chinese economy grows and China is seen more and more as an ideal business partner, less leaders in the West are making a stand.

“This is reminiscent of the lack of a stand the West had against Apartheid in South Africa during the eighties,” Ms Pfister said.

The global human rights torch relay is stopping in 25 countries and more than 100 cities in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia.

Ms Pfister said it would have been good if a similar Human Rights Torch existed in the lead up to 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

“The Olympic charter actually states that any form of discrimination with regard to a country or a person on grounds of race, religion, politics, gender or otherwise is incompatible with belonging to the Olympic Movement.

“The torch has just been to Berlin and will stop at Prague in the Czech Republic next Wednesday.

We all look forward to seeing the torch Down Under in Toowoomba on Wednesday, 31 October,” Emmy said.

Anyone interested in supporting this event or running a leg of the torch relay in Toowoomba should call Yan on 0433 430 830 or sign up at the torch relay stand at the Languages & Cultures Festival in Queens Park this Sunday, 2 September.

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www.humanrightstorch.org