On October 26-28, in Ottawa, Canada, 200 Freedom Party VIPs, including many premiers and presidents, attended the 50th Freedom International Parliament. On the morning of the 28th, the last day of the meeting, two groups of Canadian Falun Gong practitioners attended the "Human Rights Implementation Discussion" and "China and the Environment Discussion" respectively. The practitioners called on the governments to pay attention to Falun Gong in the "Human Rights Implementation Discussion." In the "China and the Environment Discussion", the practitioners gave a ten-minute special report on the positive roles that Falun Gong provides to society and the environment, and the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China. Dozens of participants, including several parliament members and Freedom Party leaders from different countries, signed a petition to the Chinese government asking them to respect human rights and to immediately stop persecuting Falun Gong.
On the evening of the 28th, several Falun Gong practitioners attended a large dinner banquet with VIPs from different countries including the Canadian Prime Minister. They introduced Falun Gong and the truth of the persecution. Canadian Prime Minister Chrétien graciously accepted a letter from Falun Gong practitioners. The letter asked Canada and the international societies to pay attention to, and help stop, the persecution of Falun Gong.
1. Facts Presented at the"China and the Environment Discussion"
The practitioners didn't know the schedule of the meeting until the evening of the 27th. Falun Gong practitioners were invited to give the first special report.
Before the meeting, practitioners cordially talked with many parliament members and representatives from different countries and handed them Falun Gong material. When a European parliament member was given the Falun Gong material, she said, "I have lots of Falun Gong material already. I have been giving them to other European parliament members." The practitioner was quite touched and thanked her sincerely. She also said, "Although the Chinese Embassy writes to me, I will continue to help Falun Gong."
During the meeting, the practitioners first talked about the moral improvement and huge change that Falun Gong has brought to Chinese society and the environment, and pointed out the previous approval from the government before the crackdown. They provided the specific numbers of the brutal persecution and other facts. They then talked about Falun Gong practitioners' great compassion and tolerance as they strictly followed "Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance" when facing persecution.
The practitioner's speech immediately resulted in sympathy from the audience. After the meeting, over thirty participants signed a petition to the Chinese Government asking them to respect human rights and immediately stop persecuting Falun Gong.
2. Governments asked to pay attention to the persecution at the "Human Rights Implementation Discussion"
Another group of practitioners attended the "Human Rights Implementation Discussion" hosted by the chairman of the British Freedom International Human Rights Committee. Over one hundred parliament members from different countries attended the meeting. The practitioners took the opportunity to ask questions to introduce the truth about violating human rights and persecuting Falun Gong, and asked the governments to pay attention.
The chairman replied, "We have been paying attention to this in England. Last week, we had five people who were concerned about this who went to meet the ambassadors at the Chinese Embassy and express our concern."
3. Practitioners introduce the truth about Falun Gong at the dinner banquet
"This is the first time we meet each other. Please pay attention to us." the practitioners greeted the Japanese Ambassador of Canada, and the Japanese Freedom Party leader, before the banquet started. The Japanese guests carefully listened to the situation of the persecution of Falun Gong in China and accepted the brochure "The Peaceful Journey of Falun Gong."
Before and after the banquet, the practitioners spoke about the Falun Gong situation to the VIPs and guests from different countries.
4. Radio Free Asia interviews practitioners before the banquet
On the evening of the 28th, the reporters from the Canadian Radio Free Asia interviewed Falun Gong practitioners.
Reporter: I heard that there were Canadian Falun Gong practitioners that went to the embassies and consulates to petition. Could you please talk about why you had this activity?
Practitioner: There are three reasons for the activity: First, this is the anniversary that Jiang Zemin labeled Falun Gong a "sect" and continue to escalate the persecution of Falun Gong. Second, there have been dozens, maybe hundreds of practitioners arrested for peaceful petition in the past several days. Third, Masanjia labor camp is extremely evil in Liaoning Province. They completely stripped the clothes off 18 female practitioners and threw them into the male prison cells of the hardened criminals. You know the result, too horrifying. That's why we went to the embassies and consulates to ask to stop the persecution of Falun Gong.
The reporter was very shocked upon hearing this. She stopped the recorder and said, "I really cannot believe that things in Masanjia labor camp are true. This is not human behavior."
Then they continued the interview. After the interview, the reporter expressed her great admiration to the fearlessness of the practitioners.
5. Canadian Prime Minister Chrétien accepts a Falun Gong letter in person
Around 7PM, Canadian Prime Minister Chrétien's appearance at the banquet was the high point. He sat with leaders from the other countries after his speech. Falun Gong practitioners handed him a letter at his table, and talked to him and asked him to pay attention to Falun Gong. Chrétien graciously accepted the letter.
Canadian Practitioners November 3, 2000
