Members of Australia's Chinese community have clashed over planned concerts in Australia that will celebrate the life of the late Communist leader Chairman Mao.

It is almost 40 years since the death of Mao Zedong - a ruler many see as one of history's worst mass murderers.

The concerts have been planned for Sydney and Melbourne early next month to mark the 40th anniversary of his death on September 9, 1976.



Associate Professor in China Studies at the University of Technology in Sydney Doctor Chongyi Feng told SBS News Mao was a tyrant.



"The deaths caused by Mao himself and Mao's policy is more than Hitler and Stalin combined."

Professor Shangxiao Han from the Embrace Australian Values Alliance, which opposes the concerts, has a similar view.

"So many people in my family and so many people's family, we got people just killed, persecuted. Some people just disappeared. It's a very, very bad thing. It is really disturbing," he said.

Concert organisers say they recognise the mistakes of the man known as Chairman Mao but his legacy is more important, that is, his contribution to the Chinese Revolution.



Mao led the Communist uprising that swept into power in 1949, removing the Nationalist Chinese government.



But over a 10 year period from 1966, under the stated aim of preserving communist ideology, China's Cultural Revolution led to millions of people being persecuted in violent struggles.



There was arbitrary imprisonment, torture, harassment and the seizure of property.



Thousands of people were forcibly displaced to rural areas of China, and schools and temples were destroyed.

Dr Feng told SBS News free speech comes with responsibility and claimed the concerts could be an abuse of multiculturalism.

"Multiculturalism is to support cultural diversity. But there's some bottom line. If some ideologies are violating basic human rights, that should not be part of multiculturalism.

"Just like political Islam or political extremes. I think we need to draw a clear line that we don't defend some very toxic ideas," he said.

Some who had family members suffer under Chairman Mao still planned to attend the concerts.



Belinda Xia's father was declared anti-revolutionary and could not work for 10 years.

"My family and my parents, we all think we can't just view politicians by our own fate, own life. We should view them for whole history. So we still think that Chairman Mao is a great person," Ms Xia said.

Petitions calling for the Melbourne and Sydney city councils to stop the concerts have attracted more than 2,000 signatures.



But the councils of both cities say it is not their role to take sides.



Melbourne's Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said allowing the event to proceed was important for democracy.



"We see Town Hall as a venue for free speech. We don't step in and ban things. I think it is important that all voices are heard."