Canada: Chinese Consul in Canada Found Guilty of Libel, Les Presses Chinoises Hate-Incitement Case Near Conclusion

Press conference	Falun Gong practitioners explaining the facts to passers-by
Media gathering the news

Clearwisdom [ Falun Gong website] Correspondent Xiao Yan reports from Montreal --- On the afternoon of February 5, 2004, Falun Gong practitioners in Montreal, Canada held a press conference in Chongshan Park in Chinatown to inform the media and local Chinese community of the verdict issued by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against Pan Xinchun, a Deputy Chinese Consul in Toronto. Practitioners also talked about the Les Presses Chinoises case involving the slander of Falun Gong and inciting hatred. This case is scheduled to conclude on February 23 to 25.

The host stated that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice issued the verdict on February 3, 2004 and found Pan Xinchun, Deputy Chinese Consul General in Toronto, guilty of libel. Toronto businessman and Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Joel Chipkar was the plaintiff. Judge Harvey Spiegel awarded Chipkar $1,000 in damages and $10,000 for legal costs against Chinese Consul, Mr. Pan Xinchun.

A practitioner pointed out that over the past four years, Jiang's regime has not only applied various ways to slander Falun Gong, spread lies and hatred, but it has also extended the persecution to other countries. She called on Canadian government officials, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, media and the entire society to work together to stop the hate propaganda. She also asked people to report hate crime cases to their local police departments.

During the press conference, many Chinese and western people accepted truth-clarifying materials. Many people were shocked to find out that the Chinese diplomat did such a thing, which the court found to be outside his normal consular duties and violated Canadian laws. People were happy to hear about the verdict.

Meanwhile, the outcome of the case also provides an important inspiration for the slander and hate case of Les Presses Chinoises.

Practitioner Wang pointed out that Les Presses Chinoises published lengthy articles to defame Falun Gong. It serves as a miniature of the Mainland China's hate propaganda against Falun Gong which is the basis for the entire persecution.

Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Chu stated that Les Presses Chinoises disregarded the facts, insisted on going along with the Jiang regime's wishes of persecuting Falun Gong and incited hatred against Falun Gong in Canada. This negatively influences public opinion, leading them to support the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

Montreal Falun Gong practitioner Ms. Yang pointed out that Jiang's regime bought off, utilised and controlled overseas media through overseas Chinese institutions to spread lies defaming Falun Gong and then "sold them back" to the Mainland to deceive people there. Its purpose was to eradicate Falun Gong. They not only hired hatchet men to harass Falun Gong practitioners, controlled some individual media to be their mouthpiece, but they also abused diplomats' positions to provoke hatred against Falun Gong inside the Chinese community and harass governmental officials of other countries who support Falun Gong. They tried to extend the Jiang regime's persecution of Falun Gong to other countries.