Canada: MP Helps to Rescue Brother of Practitioner who Suffered in Chinese Labour Camp

On March 20 2003, at a press conference hosted by MP Rob Anders, Montreal resident Mr. Lin Shenli, who survived two years of torture by the Chinese regime, was invited to give a speech.

Mr. Lin said, "I have benefited tremendously in mind and body from cultivating Falun Dafa. "Truth Compassion and Tolerance" have helped me better understand the true meaning of life. Regardless of it being suppressed or not, I will always persist in my belief. However, three years ago just because I signed my name to an appeal letter calling for peaceful dialogue, I was sentenced illegally to a forced labour camp. In order to forcefully transform my faith, the police tried to brainwash me with many tactics.

In the forced labour camp, I was guarded by criminal inmates. The food was spoiled. When they failed to force me to give up Falun Gong, they imprisoned me with the criminals, and forced me to do overtime heavy labour every day. My chest and back were covered with big blood blisters and large area of my buttocks festered, even walking became difficult..."

Mr. Lin's younger brother Lin Mingli was illegally kidnapped and sent to a forced labour camp two years ago, because he refused to give up his belief in Falun Gong. Today (Wednesday March 26th) is the expiration date of Mingli's two year term. Mingli went on a hunger strike to protest the police's illegal kidnapping and forced labour camp sentence, but he was subjected to forced feeding that caused his oesophagus to burst leaving him unable to eat anything.

Mr. Lin said, "I appeal to Canada and all in the international community that uphold justice to stop the Jiang regime from persecuting thousands upon thousands of good people like Lin Mingli who follow the principle of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance."

Member of Parliament Rob Anders expressed that he would try his best to rescue Lin Mingli through writing letters to the Chinese government and forced labour camp.

On October 24 2002, the Canadian Parliament unanimously passed Resolution M236 initiated by Member of Parliament Scott Reid and seconded by MP Stockwell Day. The motion requested Prime Minister Chretien to ask China to release all the Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China who are relatives of Canadian permanent residents or citizens: Lin Mingli was among them. On February 28 2003, Parliament held another discussion about a slightly revised version of the Resolution. The members who initiated the Resolution suggested granting special visas to Falun Gong practitioners persecuted in China.

Brief Information about Lin Mingli

On December 22 1999, Lin Mingli went to appeal at the Beijing Appeal Office and was taken back to Shanghai by Shanghai police and illegally detained. On Chinese New Year's Eve of 2000 he was arrested and detained for one month on the trumped up charge of "obstructing law implementation." His home was ransacked again. Since then he has been kept under surveillance.

In January 2001, Mingli was forced to attend a brainwashing class. He firmly opposed the evil brainwashing and refused to be transformed (brainwashed into giving up his belief) thus was detained for three months (usual length is one month). He was released on April 19 2001. On April 23 he was kidnapped by police. During the one year he was detained in a labour camp, his wife never knew what the charges were against him. The police never produced any official documentation until March 2002. The charge imposed on him was "Disturbing social order" and he was sentenced to two years of forced labour. He is now being held in the fourth squadron, fifth production brigade of Shanghai NO. 3 Reeducation though labour Camp. Mingli had been on hunger strike to protest, but he was then force fed, causing his oesophagus to burst so he was unable to eat food. His recent condition is unknown.