Canada: Prime Minister Harper Responds to Practitioners' Call for End to Persecution

On April 18th, 2006, while Canadian Prime Minister Harper was discussing related issues of day-care policy in a community centre of Burnaby, British Columbia, practitioners from Vancouver unfurled banners and displayed posters along the streets and areas near the community centre that the Prime Minister would pass by to call on the Canadian government and society to pay attention on the 7-year persecution of Falun Gong and the recently revealed urgent situation in China involving the removal of organs from living Falun Gong practitioners. The Prime Minister later indicated that human rights are universal and the administration will bring up the issue with the Chinese Government on an appropriate occasion. The Prime Minister waved to practitioners when leaving the community centre.

Practitioners unfurl banners to call for Canadian government's attention to the persecution of Falun Gong

Practitioners put up two banners which read "Please help stop the persecution against Falun Gong" and "Please investigate the CCP's Atrocities of Harvesting Organs from Living Falun Gong Practitioners in Forced Labour Camps". Meanwhile, they also passed out fliers to the public to raise awareness of the atrocities.

Practitioner Ms Zhao said: "We come here on behalf of all Falun Gong practitioners to expose the CCP's persecution of Falun Gong and to call on the international community to pay close attention to the crimes of harvesting organs from living practitioners in the forced labour camps."

"I hope that the Canadian government will act according to conscience and justice to help us stop the persecution." She added.

Ms Zhao also said: "Primer Minister Harper has seen our banner."

"When he arrived at the community centre, he waved to the crowd. When leaving, while his car passed our banners, I waved to him, and he waved back to us." She said.

In a press conference held the same day, Prime Minister Harper said that he had heard of the issue whereby Falun Gong practitioners' organs had been stolen for profit in China. He stressed that the Canadian government is very concerned with human right violations around the world and his administration will bring up those issues with Chinese officials on an appropriate occasion.

Ms. Welsh, who was invited to meet with the Prime Minister, was shocked upon hearing of the atrocities in China. She said: "I am a nurse, (I think that) this incident is very severe."

She also stated that people should try their best to let those countries (Chinese Communist regime) know that the atrocities are not the behaviour of civilised human beings.