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On Wednesday July 16, 2003, prior to the fourth anniversary of Jiang regime's persecution of Falun Gong in China, Toronto Falun Gong practitioners held a large public rally in front of Ontario's Parliament Buildings, calling for an end to the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China, and calling for bringing Jiang to justice for launching and continuing the persecution.
Members of Provincial Parliament Mr. Mike Pulu and Mr. George Smith gave speeches at the rally to support Falun Gong. Mr. Mike Pulu had attended a press conference held last year the same day to support Falun Gong. At the rally on Wednesday, he said, "One day, we will see something happen in China, we will see people believe in kindness, and we will see the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance taught by Master Li Hongzhi prevail in Chinese society."
After July 20, 1999, Mr. George Smith was the first MPP to stand up publicly to support Falun Gong in Ontario. He once requested all of his colleagues in the provincial parliament to condemn the persecution. Today, he spoke once again to call upon China to stop persecuting Falun Gong. A congratulatory letter from MPP Jerry Martinluke on behalf of provincial premier Eves and people in his precinct was also read at the event.
Attorney Joe Etian highly praised Dafa practitioners in his speech, saying that everything Dafa practitioners have done has changed history, and has enabled people with a sense of justice like him to join in the battle between good and evil. He said that he was fortunate to participate in the lawsuit against Chinese former leader Jiang Zemin last year filed with the International Court and UN Human Rights Committee Against Persecution and other organisations, because Jiang is the prime criminal who gave orders to suppress Falun Gong.
At the press conference, a Falun Dafa spokesperson reiterated that over the past four years of brutal persecution, Jiang's regime extended the persecution to overseas, in particular holding exhibitions in the Chinese Consulate General in Toronto to incite hatred toward Falun Gong practitioners. The practitioners hoped that the Canadian government could investigate the matter.
Toronto resident Ms. Zhang Li, former senior engineer at the headquarters of the Beijing Iron-Steel Design Institute, told a reporter, "On the morning of July 20th, 1999, I went to do the exercises, and there were few practitioners at the practise site. I was told that the police began arresting Falun Gong practitioners the previous night. I went to the Appeals Office, but two police cars stopped me at Xidan intersection. A policeman wearing a helmet twisted my hands behind my back and took me to the police station opposite Tiananmen Square. Later, I was taken to a bus and sent to Fengtai Stadium. On the way, I saw seven to eight armoured cars driving from Zhongnanhai, and I also saw fully armed soldiers in helmets get out of the cars, carrying guns with bayonets. The government treated unarmed civilians as enemies."
Canadian Falun Gong practitioner Li Bo's mother Ms. Lu Xiuzhen is a retired, well-respected teacher. She was illegally detained in the notorious Masanjia Forced Labour Camp and remains there today.
Falun Gong practitioners called upon people from all walks of life to stand up to uphold justice. As of today, the Canadian government has helped secure the release of more than ten Falun Gong practitioners.
Spokesperson of the World Organisation to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong Mr. Yang Kaiwan presented an investigation report on China's persecution of Falun Gong. Information about China's use of one quarter of the nation's financial resources to persecute Falun Gong, in particular, drew the attention of MPs and media on hand.
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After the press conference, there was a mock trial for Jiang's crimes. Several Falun Gong practitioners acted as witnesses and explained the crimes Jiang has committed, why these crimes constitute genocide, and why the end of the persecution would be a great event in the world. A young mother, on behalf of Ms. Wang Lixuan and her eight-month son that were tortured to death in China, condemned Jiang's persecution of mothers and children. Another practitioner explained the facts of staged self-immolation on Tiananmen Square.
Ten media organisations came to cover the activity. The media included the largest and most influential national newspaper in Canada-- The Globe and Mail, as well as the largest Chinese radio station in Canada.
In conjunction with the public rally, there was a one-week signature collection drive, requesting the Canadian government to stop Jiang's regime from extending its persecution of Falun Gong to Canada. The same day, there was a large-scale car parade. Practitioners were separated into three groups. They decorated their cars and paraded down several busy streets with many Chinese people. The activity was quite successful, as a lot of local residents got the chance to see the facts for themselves.
From July 14 to July 18, 2003, prior to the fourth year of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners launched by the Jiang regime, Falun Gong practitioners from Ottawa and Montreal held a series of activities on Parliament Hill and the Chinese Embassy in Canada to oppose the persecution. They held a candlelight vigil, a signature collection drive with the theme "Stop inciting hatred toward Falun Gong," a press conference, a photo exhibit, a film-showing, march and a public rally.
Four years ago, on July 20, 1999, Chinese authorities began a nationwide arrest of Falun Gong practitioners. At the same time, Jiang mobilized the military and police to publicly beat Falun Gong practitioners including the elderly, women, and children. On July 21-22, 1999, Falun Gong practitioners who heard the news successively went to local appeals offices ended up being arrested. According to incomplete statistics, more than 300,000 Falun Gong practitioners were subjected to illegal detention and beatings at that point.
Falun Gong practitioners said in a statement published on July 18, 2003, "Four years of brutal persecution and genocide must be ended." Canadian resident Bill Liang presented to the local people and the media his 67-year-old mother Ms. Huang Xiuchao's experience. Ms. Huang benefited both physically and mentally because of practicing Falun Gong. After the persecution began, Ms. Huang was abducted for distributing Falun Gong truth-clarifying materials. Bill said, "Four months after my mother was illegal detained, and the authorities put on a ridiculous 'show trial' and sentenced her to four years in prison. There was no audience during the show trial; the time, location and judge were all kept secret. It was a farce. When my mother was in detention, an anonymous phone call to inform my family to hand in 30,000 Yuan [The average monthly salary of an urban worker in China is 500 Yuan.] to have my mother released. But my family and I don't know where my mother is now. I'm worried that I might lose the opportunity to see my mother again in the midst of such a systematic brutal persecution."
According to the Falun Dafa Information Center, during the past four years since the persecution began on July 20, 1999, there have been 778 confirmed deaths of Falun Dafa practitioners due to the persecution. Torture death cases cover more than 30 provinces, autonomous regions and cities across the country. Among those who have been tortured to death, 48% are women, and 26.5% were of ages from 50 to 70. In order to force Falun Gong practitioners to renounce their belief, the authorities used at lease 40 different torture methods against them. There are at least 6,000 Falun Gong practitioners who have been illegally sentenced to prison. Over 10,000 practitioners have been sentenced to forced labor camps. More than a thousand practitioners have been forcefully sent to psychiatric hospitals to be tortured with injections that are damaging to the central nervous system. Large groups of Falun Gong practitioners have been forcefully sent to local brainwashing classes, where they have been subjected to both physical and mental torture. Many more practitioners have been severely beaten and had large sums of money extorted from them.
Ms. Lucy Zhou said, "Falun Gong, as a belief, has been widely spread to more than 60 countries, but only the Jiang regime has suppressed it in China. Four years of persecution has been entirely based on brutal torture, lies and incitement of hatred. In the face of huge pressure, Falun Gong practitioners have not yielded, nor have they taken extreme actions. Instead, they peacefully and rationally called for an end to the persecution and exposed the lies, and at the same time took legal action to seek justice. At present, Falun Gong practitioners around the world have or plan to sue Jiang and "610 Office"[1], and put them on trial. According to International Criminal Court Stipulations, the persecution of Falun Gong imposed by Jiang and 610 Office' fits the definition of the crimes of genocide, torture and crimes against humanity."
[1]The 610 Office is an agency specifically created to persecute Falun Gong, with absolute power over each level of administration in the Party and all other political or judicial systems.
Ottawa Sun: Falun Gong backers hit Hill
By DEREK PUDDICOMBE
Sunday, July 20, 2003
It was a day of protests on Parliament Hill yesterday as Falun Gong supporters shared space with Iranian protesters.
About 60 Falun Gong supporters were on the Hill to round up support and awareness for their cause.
They were marking the fourth anniversary of China's persecution against those who believe in the principle of Falun Dafa that includes the spreading of truth, compassion and forbearance.
"The Chinese government's persecution against Falun Gong practitioners is fuelled by lies, hate, evil and brutality," said Shawn Li, member of Falun Dafa Association of Canada.
Li added that because of the determination of Falun Gong practitioners, persecution against its supporters in China is waning.
"We can see this because we are beginning to expose the lies," said Li.
http://www.canoe.ca/OttawaNews/os.os-07-20-0024.html
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