Press Statement From Practitioners In Canada

Today, Falun Gong practitioners across Canada are in front of the Chinese Embassy and Consulates to call upon China's President Jiang Zemin to do three things: 1) to immediately release all jailed and detained Falun Gong practitioners in China; 2) to lift the ban on Falun Gong without delay and end the brutal persecution; and 3) to engage Falun Gong in genuine, peaceful dialogue. Since July 1999, the Chinese communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has escalated. According to the world media and human rights groups, over 50,000 Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested or detained. At least 10,000 have been sent to labor camps without trial, and some 600 persons have been forced into mental facilities where they have been abused through anti-psychotic or sedative drugs and electric shocks. At least 52 Falun Gong practitioners have reportedly died from maltreatment in police custody. Millions of Falun Gong books, videotapes, and audiotapes have been confiscated and burned. China's regime has conducted show trials for over 500 Falun Gong practitioners, handing out stiff sentences of up to 18 years in prison. The persecution is again escalating recently, it is reported that China is planning to "eradicate Falun Gong in 3 Months" and is threatening to start executing certain Falun Gong practitioners who have remained faithful to their beliefs. The purpose of such a move is apparently to threaten a large number by killing a few. The new plan is called "Destroying the reputation of Falun Gong completely, exhausting Falun Gong practitioners financially, and eradicating Falun Gong within three months." We also received reports of a tragic death of practitioner Ms Shi Bei, mother of a Falun Gong practitioner in Canada. According to report from AP, Ms. Shi Bei "died on Sept. 10 after being forcibly put into a mental hospital in eastern Hangzhou City. During her three months there, she was regularly denied food and given unspecified injections", the Hong-Kong Human Rights Information Center said. Meanwhile, this practitioner's father was also jailed in China for refusing to give up practicing Falun Gong. The harassment of Falun Gong by the Chinese government has extended beyond its own borders to other countries, including Canada, where the Chinese embassies and consulates are used to spread propaganda, interfere with legal activities of Falun Gong practitioners and even pressure Canadian government officials who show support for Falun Gong. Upon visits to China, citizens and residents of Canada have faced persecutions including arrests, beatings, and deportations. Ambassador of the Chinese embassy wrote to MPs, and government officials who have written congratulatory letters to support our Falun Dafa activities in Canada, requesting them to "refrain from supporting Falun Gong's activities (in Canada)." We are very glad that MPs such as Mr.Gordon Earle, Mr. Darrel Stinson, denied the request and hold on to their position of supporting Falun Dafa. Mr. Earle wrote in his letter to Chinese ambassador:" "Once again I am proud to extend greeting on behalf of the New Democratic Party of Canada to all who celebrate Falun Dafa Week." Here we would like to re-iterate our call to Canadian government to speak out publicly to urge China to stop the bloody persecution and to stop Chinese Embassy's interference to your Canadian citizens.