The Falun Dafa group is planning to ask the High Court for a judicial review after the Auckland Children's Christmas Parade Trust turned down its application to be in the November 30 parade.
The group apparently wanted to highlight its persecution in China.
Trust chairman Michael Barnett, who is also Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive, said as a private organisation he did not believe the trust would be bound by a High Court ruling.
"I think this is a publicity stunt.
"I can't imagine any judicial review would call on us to do anything different from what we have done."
He said he had spoken to the Human Rights Commission which was satisfied with the processes the trust had used in the past.
He said the group tried to participate in events around the world to promote the fact that they were persecuted in China.
"All I have said is you are not going to use the Santa Parade in Auckland to promote that," Mr Barnett said.
"It is a children's Christmas parade. It is about fun and fantasy and family stuff. It is not about some Chinese group trying to promote the fact that they believe they are persecuted back in China."
This year Wellington City Council allowed the group to participate in its Christmas parade as a gesture of goodwill but permission came with a strict instruction not to protest.
Mr Barnett said this year's 75th Auckland Santa Parade would be one of the biggest in the history of the event and organisers 300,000 to 400,000 people would line the streets of inner city Auckland.
Two helium balloons made up as Dr Seuss characters had been brought from New York for the parade, he said.
(Otago Daily Times, Thu, November 20, 2008)
Original text from: http://www.odt.co.nzewsational/32575/santa-parade-ban-chinese-lobby-group
