Canada: House of Parliament Discusses Plans to Rescue Falun Gong Practitioners

Reported in Chinese by the Central News Agency

February 28, 2003 Special Dispatch

The Canadian Parliament debated a motion proposed by Member of Parliament Mr. Scott Reid, which was passed unanimously on October 24, 2002. Since the House of Commons and Senate accepted the motion in October 2002, this Bill has had a positive effect. It was instrumental in the release of three Canadian residents' family members in China who had been sent to forced labor camps for practicing Falun Gong. The Bill also helped to improve the labour camp conditions of other arrested practitioners and to secure the successful rescue of a practitioner who was about to be sent to prison in China.

The Bill proposed by Member of Parliament Mr. Reid was thought to be an important element in the safe release of these Falun Dafa practitioners. The Bill mentioned that the House of Commons and Senate is of the opinion that during the APEC meeting, the Canadian Prime Minister should make special mention to Jiang Zemin regarding the Falun Gong issue - that thirteen Falun Gong practitioners who are relatives of Canadian residents are still being detained in China. The Bill also stated that the Prime Minister should further emphasise that if these people are allowed to join their families in Canada, the Canadian government is willing to strengthen existing business relationships with China.

The Canadian Parliament accepted this Bill, which was one of the ideas proposed by Members of Parliament from different parties to release innocent practitioners. Unfortunately, right now many practitioners who are family members of Canadian residents are still being detained in jails or detention centres or labour camps in China.

Mr. Reid emphasised that we must continue to exert pressure, until every one of these practitioners are released and can join their families in Canada.