Human Rights Organisation Appeals to the Myanmar Government for the Release of Falun Gong Practitioner Chan Wing-Yuen

The Human Rights Organisation Burma Round Table held a meeting on the afternoon of March 29 at Harbour Centre, Vancouver, Canada, and appealed to the Myanmar Government for the release all political prisoners, including 71-year-old Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Chan Wing-Yuen.

Seven high school students, holding lighted candles, talked about how seven prisoners of conscience were arrested as well as their current situation, and appealed to the Myanmar government for their immediate release.

According to Falun Gong spokesperson Sophia Bronwen, Hong Kong resident Mr. Chan Wing-Yuen went to Myanmar for a visit on December 12, 2002. When he found out that the former Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, who launched the persecution of Falun Gong, would pay a visit to Myanmar, he unfurled a small banner with the words "Truth, Compassion, Forbearance" by the road to Rangoon. He was arrested and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment in a secret trial. She said, "Officials from the Chinese Embassy in Rangoon and the local police tried to force Chan Wing-Yuen to give up his belief in Falun Gong as an exchange for his freedom, but their attempt was rejected by Mr. Chen."

Eric Snider, spokesperson of the Myanmar Human Rights Organisation, said that they are appealing to the Myanmar authorities right now for the release of Mr. Chan Wing-Yuen and are collecting signatures on petitions on an extensive scope.

Supporting organisations for the event included Amnesty International, the International Unity Group of Public Interest Research of Simon Fraser University, the Canadian Karen Society, the Democratic Burmese Students Organisation, Canadian Friends of Burma and others.