This Sunday is the third anniversary of Cheng Lei’s detention in China.
Cheng Lei’s message to Australians, being reported week, is both touching in its poignancy, but heartbreaking in the cruelty it exposes and reinforces, yet again, why her detention should end.
Anniversaries such as this are another opportunity to highlight the plight of Ms Cheng and urge for her release. But for Ms Cheng’s partner, children, parents and wider family, these milestones will be particularly personal and emotional, and our thoughts are with them.
The letter from Cheng Lei brings home the injustice of her continuing detention on secret charges, following a secret trial and the repeated deferral of a verdict.
The Coalition repeats its call on Chinese authorities to end this matter and release Ms Cheng and allow her to return home to her loved ones.
Three years of uncertainty, secrecy and zero transparency must be taking a huge toll on Ms Cheng and her loved ones.
The Coalition offers its continuing bipartisan support to the Government for all efforts to secure the release of Ms Cheng. This applies also to Dr Yang who has been held in similar circumstances to Ms Cheng for more than four-and-a-half-years.
For Ms Cheng, the extent of the physical and emotional trauma of three years of separation from loved ones, including young children, amidst uncertainty and secrecy is beyond comprehension.