Canada: Falun Gong Practitioners Hold Press Conference to Announce Court's Verdict of Libel against Chinese Deputy Consul General

On February 5, 2004, Falun Gong practitioners held a press conference at the Canadian parliament to inform the media about the court's verdict against Deputy Consul General of China in Toronto, Mr. Pan Xinchun. Toronto Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Joel Chipkar recently filed a libel lawsuit against Pan for libel and Pan was convicted by an Ontario Superior Court of Justice on February 3.

Mr. Chipkar Showing Supporting Documents to Media	Mr. Chipkar and Canadian Falun Gong Spokeswoman Lucy Zhou at the press conference

Under the orders of the Jiang regime, in the past four and a half years the Chinese Embassy and consulates have used various means to stigmatize Falun Gong and spread lies and hatred in Canada. During the press conference, plaintiff Joel Chipkar enumerated such kinds of conduct. At the same time, Mr. Chipkar called on Canadian governmental officials, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the media and the public to jointly stop hate propaganda, and monitor and report such conduct to local police.

Canadian Senator Raynell Andreychuk and MP Yvon Charbonneau attended the press conference to support the event. At the same time, Canadian MP Rob Anderson wrote a letter to encourage practitioners regarding this verdict.

Instigators of Hatred Do Not Have Immunity

In a statement, Falun Gong spokeswoman Lucy Zhou said that using characters and pictures to instigate hatred violates Canadian Criminal Law. Moreover, according to the United Nations' Convention On Consular Relations and Optional Protocols, all persons enjoying such privileges and immunity are "to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State (article 55(1))," "the consular premises shall not be used in any manner incompatible with the exercise of consular functions (article 55(2))" and work "within the limits permitted by international law (article 5(a)). Instigating hatred itself is not the business or legitimate responsibility of any consular officials.

During the press conference, Mr. Chipkar illustrated cases in which Chinese diplomats acted outside their diplomatic function to spread hatred. For example, the Chinese diplomats have distributed slanderous materials against Falun Gong to Canadian officials and public libraries. Chinese diplomatic officials also wrote letters to Canadian officials asking them not to support and protect Canadian citizens' legal rights. Chinese consulate officials have also supported meetings instigating hatred. At their public website and the Toronto Visa office, the Chinese consulate officials continue to post graphic pictures to slander Falun Gong, while several hundred Canadian citizens visit this office every day.

Mr. Chipkar also showed the media a letter from the Chinese Consulate to a Toronto City council member. The letter, which was sent to the council member at the beginning of the year, denounced Falun Gong and repeatedly used Jiang regime's slanderous propaganda against Falun Gong. Mr. Chipkar said, "Compared to the overall slander of Canadian practitioners, Chinese diplomatic officials' libel against me is very little."

Chipkar reminded the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Tuesday, a Canadian court has ruled that Pan Xinchun has transgressed his consular functions and violated international law when he viciously attacked me." "Even four years after Jiang's regime started to persecute Falun Gong, the Chinese Consulate in Toronto is still using hateful propaganda and manipulating measures to divide Canadian communities. How can they continue to do that? The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affair must stop these diplomatic officials from attacking Canadians."

The Intention of Hate Propaganda: Cover up Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners

Last December, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda found three persons guilty of genocide in 1994 for using the media to instigate violence. Among the three defendants, two were sentenced to life imprisonment and the other to a 35-year prison term.

Mr. Chipkar said that a similar crime was occurring in China and that the Chinese government attempted to influence Canadian media to help it spread hatred and block support for Falun Gong.

Mr. Chipkar pointed out to the Canadian media that during the persecution, Chinese media reports that defamed Falun Gong did not have any credibility. He called on the Canadian media to disregard the Chinese regime's slander and defamation of Falun Gong and all Chinese media attacking Falun Gong.

Hatred Brings Harm

Mr. Chipkar said in answering questions from a Minghui reporter that he and his mother operated a business in Toronto. People around them knew he was a Falun Gong practitioner, and Pan Xinchun's libel harmed his reputation. Due to the spread of hatred, his wife was driven out of a coffee shop when she went there to collect signatures for rescuing her parents, who are being persecuted in China. The shop hosts tore up her appeal letter and slandered her. During the Canadian National Day Parade, a Chinese man ran into Mr. Chipkar's mother intentionally as she wore a T-shirt bearing the words "Falun Gong." Due to pressure from the Chinese embassy, some business owners fired Falun Gong practitioner employees. Some practitioners were even driven out of Chinese shopping centres. Senior practitioners were kicked out of senior citizen associations.

Mr. Chipkar said that everyone, including children, would see posters slandering Falun Gong on the wall when entering Chinese embassy and consulates in Canada. These pictures poisoned Canadians' minds.

Calling for Society's Surveillance and Bringing Persecutors to Justice

Mr. Chipkar called on Canadian MPs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to actively stop the hateful propaganda of the Chinese embassy and consulate in Canada. He said that instigation of hatred was a crime in Canada. If an MP receives a letter or information about Falun Gong from Chinese officials, please contact us and inform the local police department in charge of hate crimes. Police have set up a case to investigate the hate propaganda of the Chinese embassy in Canada. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must stop Chinese diplomats' libel of Canadian citizens and spreading of hate propaganda, and let those involved know that they are not welcome.