Letter from Canadian Parliament and Senate to Chinese Presedent Jiang ZeminHis Excellency Jiang Zemin President of the People's Republic of China Beijing, People's Republic of China Dear Mr. President, As members of the Canadian Parliament and Senate, we are writing to express our concern over the Chinese government's attempts to eradicate the practice of Falun Gong, the inhuman treatment of detaind or arrested practitioners, and the deaths of several practitioners while in police custody. From what we have observed in Canada, Falun Gong is a health-promoting and peaceful group. Therefore, we are distressed by reports from citizens of China and Amnesty International of mass arrests, arbitrary detention, torture, beatings, and inhuman treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China and especially the deaths of several practitioners while in police custody. We call on the Chinese government to immediately stop this brutal persecution and to allow the people of China to peacefully practice their beliefs without fear of harassment or arrest. We expect that China will uphold the fundamental human rights specified in the Chinese constitution. Furthermore, we expect the Chinese government to respect the freedom of belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly that they agreed to uphold as dignatories to the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We were disturbed to learn that the Ministry of Public Security decreed on July 22 that a wide range of activities were deemed illegal and would be subject to prosecution. Among the prohibitions were activities such as the distribution of Falun Gong materials, gatherings or silent sit-ins, and activities associated with the practice or promotion of Falun Gong. This decree contradicts the commitment to uphold human rights China agreed to when it signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on October 1998. We respectfully request that the people of China be allowed to practice Falun Gong without fear. We entreat you to immediately stop the mass arrests of Falun Gong practitioners, to release detained and arrested Falun Gong practitioners, and to rescind the ban on Falun Gong. We also trust that no Falun Gong ractitioners will be chanrged or tried for the peaceful expression of their beliefs. These actitions would bring China into accord with international standards concerning freedom of thoughts and expression. They would certainly help enhance China's image in the international community. We would appreciate your attention to this matter. |