Speech by Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International of Canada at a Press Conference on May 31

• When will China finally be persuaded to live up to its obligations to protect the basic human rights of its citizens?
• When will the relentless campaign of persecution of Falun Gong followers in China come to an end?
• When will Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and relatives of Canadians, who choose to practice Falun Gong, be able to live in or visit China without fear of being arrested, detained, or tortured and of possibly even dying as a result?

China's record of human rights persecution continues to be abysmal. The international community, including Canada, continues to bear the shame of failing to decisively take China to task for that record.

And today we have news that among the many thousands and thousands who continue to suffer repression in China is a Canadian permanent resident, Zhu Ying. Everything points to the almost inescapable conclusion that she was arrested in China, probably three weeks ago, because of her adherence to Falun Gong. AI has every reason to believe she may be a Prisoner of Conscience, imprisoned because of her beliefs.

And we know as well that Canadian citizen Li Jinyu's husband remains in detention, again because of his Falun Gong beliefs.

These cases with Canadian connections must be an absolute priority for the Canadian government. Once again we call on the government to do more to ensure that the rights of not only Zhu Ying and Lin Shenli - Li Jinyu's husband, are all respected; but also that the repressive crackdown against Falun Gong comes to an end and that China ensures that the basic rights and freedom of all its citizens are consistently upheld.

• Now is not the time to be shy,
• Now is not the time to think only of trade,
• Now is not the time to worry about Olympic bids;

• Now is the time for rights!

We know that pressure can make a difference we witnessed that in the release of Canadian citizen and Falun Gong follower Professor Kunlun Zhang.

There are thousands, possibly tens of thousands, of detained Falun Gong practitioners. The systematic torture of Falun Gong practitioners continues, and the number of Falun Gong followers who have died from torture continues to grow.

• Now is not the time for silence;
• Now is the time for rights!