Two weeks prior to the visit of the Chinese communist regime's second in charge, Premier Wen Jiabao, a grass roots rally supporting the 9 million withdrawals from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was held in Sydney's China Town on Saturday March 18.
Speeches were made supporting the ongoing withdrawals from the CCP and its organisations that began to be posted on the website www.tuidang.epochtimes.com in November 2004 following the publication of The Epoch Times' comprehensive report Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party.
One of the speakers at the rally was Dr Chen Hongxin, a research scholar of Chinese contemporary politics, who after the rally told The Epoch Times that withdrawals from the Party was an example of individuals taking peaceful measures towards the betterment of personal freedoms and human rights in China.
"[The Chinese people] really want change in the government and for society but they hope the change is peaceful," said Dr Chen.
She said that many mainland Chinese were aware of the withdrawals from the Party but that most were largely unaware of the actual numbers of those who had withdrawn.
"I think it doesn't matter…as long as people know they have a way to say good bye to the CCP," she said.
Dr Chen also said the important issue was that individuals had the opportunity to withdraw from the Party, and could do so safely (as they can use as alias).
The development of grass roots efforts for change in China via the internet was a very important factor towards peaceful change in China Dr Chen said, with some Chinese mainlanders now having the opportunity to access different "points of view, news and communication with the outside world".
Even knowing the Communist regime employs a huge internet police force and has spent billions trying to censor the web many people continue to be able to find ways of accessing uncensored information.
"Many people are using a special software so they can access overseas websites, so its quite good for those Chinese people and they can know what is happening around the world, they know some people are supporting them, it gives them courage to do whatever they [can]," said Dr Chen.
Other speeches at the rally, issues such as Chinese asylum seekers detained in Australia, the plight of Beijing human rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng and the recent reports of a secret death camp in north east China.
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