Vic: Safety, not politics, behind festival ban, tribunal told
MELBOURNE, Feb 19 AAP - Concern for crowd safety, not politics, was the reason thespiritual group Falun Dafa was excluded from last year's Chinese New Year Festival inMelbourne, a tribunal heard today.
Members of Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, are claiming in the Victorian andCivil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) they were discriminated against by the festival hostsbecause of their political and religious views.
Opening the case for the Federation of Chinese Association (FCA), Paul Vout said organisers'concerns over the potential consequences of the group's controversial views lay behindthe refusal to accept their application.
"This hearing is not about Shanghai-based anti-religious bigotry reaching out to LittleBourke Street," Dr Vout said.
Nor was the case about the oppressive dictates of the Chinese government and its treatmentof its citizens.
Instead, the case centred on "one decision" by the festival hosts, their legal responsibilitiesand their preparedness to accept the consequences that could arise from allowing FalunDafa a stall at the event, Dr Vout said.
When controversial political views could provoke conflict and scuffles there was alegitimate basis for rejecting the group, Dr Vout said.
Large numbers were expected at the festival, including many families, and the FalunDafa group were known to display explicit photos, he said.
The group was advised their application had been denied by the festival hosts justone day before the 2002 event began despite complaining to the Victorian Equal OpportunityCommission over an earlier rejection.
Yesterday their lawyer Mark Irving told the tribunal the group was not given a reasonfor the rejection.
"The question of the refusal is going to be central. We say that the real reasons forthe refusal were the religious and political views and activities of the organisation."
Falun Dafa claims the Chinese government has persecuted, tortured and killed hundredsof practitioners since it was banned in China in 1999.
It is believed there are as many as 100 million members of the group in China, andits teachings are practised in more than 50 countries.
The hearing continues.
A Falun Dafa spokeswoman today said the group had not applied to attend the 2003 ChineseNew Year festival in the city.
AAP nl/dk/ldj/br
KEYWORD: FALUN
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