Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who was arrested and jailed in China three years ago, has released her first public statement describing the harsh conditions of her imprisonment and how much she misses Australia.
"G'day Aussies, excuse the daggy slang from someone in need of 'ockerism'," Ms Cheng writes.
Ms Cheng was tried behind closed doors in March 2022 and she is yet to know what verdict was reached.Speaking exclusively to 7.30, her partner of eight years, Nick Coyle, described the purpose of the statement."This is a message to the Australian people really. It's trying to communicate with the Australian people who she is and what she loves about her country.
"I miss the black humour of Melbourne weather, the tropical theatrics of Queensland and the never-ending blue skies of Western Australia. I miss the sweet encounters of wildlife in Australia, the sea salt whirling in my ear, the sand between my toes." "I definitely notice more and more the toll that it takes on her in terms of the long-term separation from her children, that is, without doubt, the most difficult thing."Ms Cheng's arrest happened eight months after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic when diplomatic relations between Australia and China had broken down.
"What I would say is that Lei’s case I think is very important to improving the atmospherics," he said. The embassy also said, "based on humanitarian considerations, China is ready to listen to Australia's demands and provide assistance within the scope of legal provisions.""You would like to think these things are above politics? I certainly hope it is. And let's just get it resolved in her home to her family, and so she can get on with her life, and her children can have their mother back.
Even when I was a bewildered 10-year-old in 1985, I remember arriving on a Qantas flight and experiencing sitting on a toilet for the first time I can't believe I used to avoid the sun when I was living back in Australia, although knowing Melbourne weather, it will probably rain for the first two weeks after I return
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘He was petrified’: Australian surfer drifts at sea for 37 hours after boat capsizes off IndonesiaElliot Foote’s father Peter Foote says his son floated through the night alone on a surfboard in ‘amazing’ survival story
Read more »
Tasmania the first Australian state to ban Nazi salute and symbolsTasmania the first Australian state to ban Nazi salute and symbols
Read more »
Australian glasses invention to help the blindAn Australian invention is set to revolutionise how people who are blind view the world, through artificial intelligence. 9News
Read more »
Australian glasses invention to help the blindAn Australian invention is set to revolutionise how people who are blind view the world, through artificial intelligence. 9News
Read more »
'It's unbelieveable': All four missing Australian surfers found aliveAll four Australian surfers who went missing off the coast of Indonesia have now been found safe following an extensive 36-hour search mission.
Read more »
Australian student’s research to makes its way to spaceAn Australian aerospace engineering student will soon have his experiment tested by astronauts on board the International Space Station. Shingo Nishimoto's simple experiment won the Asian Try Zero-G competition with One Giant Leap Foundation helping the up-and-coming Australian talent participate.
Read more »