Canada Holds a Congressional Hearing Regarding Human Rights in China and Invites Representatives of the Falun Dafa Association

In Ottawa on the afternoon of May the 12th 2004, the Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Development of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade held a hearing on human rights in China. Three Falun Gong representatives were invited to attend, and they presented evidence from different perspectives to expose the persecution of Falun Gong by Jiang's regime. They also answered questions from the members of Congress.

Crimes against Humanity and Genocide

When talking about why Jiang's regime wanted to persecute Falun Gong, Mr. Li Xun cited an explanation from a diplomat, "The dictatorship wants to control the people and possess a sense of authority. Falun Gong practitioners, who believe in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance, have the moral authority behind them." Li Xun pointed out, "In fact, before the persecution, Chinese authorities at various levels of government were supportive of Falun Gong and recognised the practice with an award for 'the Highest Qigong.' Falun Gong gave tens of millions of people healthy bodies and raised the moral standard of the Chinese society. Falun Gong saved the country billions of yuan in medical expenses. 'Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance' is like a mirror, forming a sharp contrast with all the lies, ugly things, and violence. The more Falun Gong practitioners there were, the sharper the contras was." Li Xun also pointed out, "Falun Gong should be promoted; it is shame to persecute such a good practice."

A coordinator of the Canada Falun Dafa Association Dai Gongyi added: "No rational person would persecute Falun Gong. The persecution of Falun Gong was completely started at Jiang Zemin's personal discretion. Before the persecution, six standing members of the Chinese Political Bureau were against the persecution. However, out of jealousy, Jiang Zemin single-handedly pushed for the persecution. The persecution is against humanity and has the characteristics of genocide. Jiang Zemin proclaimed before the persecution started that Falun Gong would be eradicated in three months. In the last several years, the measures used by his regime to persecute Falun Gong have been extremely cruel."

Another Canadian coordinator Mrs. Zhou Luqian added, "To eradicate Falun Gong, Jiang Zemin specifically established the '610' offices, which are now everywhere in China. The goal of these offices is to persecute Falun Gong; their power overrides Chinese agencies and is above the law."

Persecution Is Occurring at Every Moment in China

Mrs. Zhou Luqian told the members of Congress and the human rights experts present that there are over 100 methods of torture used by Jiang's regime to persecute Falun Gong practitioners. She explained, "These tortures are being applied to Falun Gong practitioners at every moment. They include being submerged in water, solitary confinement, electric shock, brutal beatings, and so on. The victims of these tortures include people over 70 and as young as eight. Falun Gong practitioners continue to be subjected to these tortures just because they want to keep their belief in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance, to appeal through legal procedures, and to explain the truth."

Li Xun explained that in order to realise the goal of eradicating Falun Gong, Jiang implemented a policy for Falun Gong practitioners: "Defame their reputations, destroy them physically, and bankrupt them financially." According to the Australia Broadcast Company, nearly half of the detainees in the Chinese labour camps are Falun Gong practitioners. He added, "Human rights organisations' most conservative estimate of the number of people in the labour camps ranges from 230,000 to two million. From these estimates, it can be surmised that a vast number of Falun Gong practitioners are being detained in labour camps."

From information from China, the confirmed deaths of Falun Gong practitioners number 961. Li Xun said that because of the tight censorship, the exact number of deaths is hard to know. However, according to information from inside the communist party, the deaths could be upwards of several thousand. He notes that the persecution is taking place in all 30 provinces in China.

Many Falun Gong practitioners were sent to psychiatric hospitals. Li Xun told of the mother of Canadian resident Miss Shi Bei. Miss Shi's mother died from torture in a psychiatric hospital. Mrs. Zhou Luqian added that Falun Gong practitioners were subjected not only to physical torture but also to spiritual torture. Jiang's regime not only forced Falun Gong practitioners to express their willingness to give up Falun Gong on TV, but also forced them to express their gratitude to the torturers and brainwashers, causing Falun Gong practitioners immense humiliation and emotional pain. According to Professor Zhang Kunlun from Canada, who had personal experience of this emotional anguish, this spiritual torture is even crueler than brutal physical torture.

Systematic Torture: Hate Propaganda and Extortion

Mr. Dai Gongyi said, "This persecution not only shattered the moral fibber of the Chinese people but also wasted huge amounts of the nation's financial resources, causing great harm to the country." Discussing the sources of funds used in the persecution, Li Xun said that a large portion of the money comes from the cash fines levied on Falun Gong practitioners. For example, before he was rescued from China, Professor Zhang Kunlun had paid 10,000 yuan in fines.

Another means of sustaining the persecution has been the relentless, hate-inciting propaganda. For example, the state-run newspaper The People's Daily published over 300 articles defaming Falun Gong in the very first month of the systematic persecution of Falun Gong. The state TV stations broadcast programs slandering Falun Gong constantly. This hate-filled propaganda was spread throughout China.

Persecution Extended to Canada

Mr. Dai Gongyi said that Jiang's regime has extended the propaganda of hatred all over the world. In Canada, for example, inflammatory, hate-inciting material was sent to Canadian officials at various levels as well as to schools, unions, and libraries.

Li Xun then gave two examples of the extension of persecution to Canada.

On August 16, 2002, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) ruled that a Chinese TV station acted unfairly and improperly by linking Falun Gong with a murder case during a news report on December 16, 2001. CBSC concluded that the report violated four regulations, including the Code of Ethics on news reports as listed in the Canadian Broadcast and TV Regulations, the code regarding violent content, and the code of morality and ethics. The report was therefore deemed to be improper and unjust. The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council determined that no reliable evidence linked the murder case to Falun Gong and the report, therefore, constituted an unjust attack on Falun Gong. The CBSC requested that the TV station broadcast this conclusion during prime time.

In another example, a Canadian Falun Gong practitioner Joel Chipkar sued the assistant consul general of the Chinese Consulate in Toronto for writing a slanderous article in the Toronto Star that publicly defamed him. The case was tried in the Supreme Court of Ontario and affirmed the defamation charge against Pan Xinchun.

Li Xun pointed out further that this persecution has extended to Canadian citizens. The family members and relatives of over 30 Canadian residents and citizens are detained in China. Over 100 Falun Gong practitioners' family members and relatives were subjected to various forms of torture because they practised Falun Gong in China.

The representatives of Falun Gong emphasised that Falun Gong practitioners are not against any government. They only oppose this persecution. To illustrate this point, according to Zhou Luqian, last year when Wen Jiabao visited Canada, Falun Gong practitioners displayed three banners: "Falun Dafa is good," "Welcome Wen Jiabao to Canada," and "Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice."

The three Falun Gong contact persons thanked the government of Canada for the opportunity to attend the hearing. They appealed to the Canadian government to demand that China end this persecution immediately.

Participants of the hearing included Eleni Bakopanos, Colleen Beaumier, David Kilgour, Deepak Obhrai, Yves Rocheleau,Alexa McDonough, representatives from Amnesty International, Freedom Now, and other human rights organizations, human rights analysts, and assistants to the Members of Congress.