Canada: Vancouver Practitioners Will Continue to Protest in Front of the Singapore Consulate

Over the past several years, the Singapore government has followed the Chinese government and Jiang's regime in the persecution of Falun Gong. It treats Singapore practitioners completely differently now than it did before the persecution began. The media has also copied the Chinese government's slanderous propaganda and never gives practitioners a chance to explain the truth. Practitioners' activities to clarify the truth are restricted, and on many occasions practitioners have been treated unfairly and even detained.

On April 27, 2005, the Singapore court charged practitioners Ms. Huang Caihua and Ms. Chen Lujin with eight crimes, including "illegal gathering without a permit" and "possessing and mailing VCD's without a permit." They were ordered to pay a large fine. After refusing to comply, they were put into prison despite the fact that Chen Jujin has a six-month-old baby at home.

At noon on May 3rd, Vancouver practitioners once again held a press conference in front of the Singapore consulate in Canada. They called on people to pay attention to the persecution of practitioners in Singapore. They also submitted a letter to the Singapore consulate asking the government to release two practitioners who had been on a hunger strike for six days. They urged the government to learn the truth about Falun Gong, reflect upon its previous mistakes, and choose a bright future for Singapore and its people.

The staff at the Singapore consulate and other people took the practitioners' fliers. Some offered help and others expressed the opinion that the Singapore government is not rational in its treatment of Falun Gong.

On May 4th, the two practitioners were released after their families paid the fines. But the mistake the Singapore government has made has not been corrected. Therefore, Vancouver practitioners will still peacefully protest in front of the Singapore consulate. They are hoping that the Singapore government will correct its wrong decision.

Vancouver spokesperson Li Ying called on the Singapore government to make the right choice between upholding justice and following evil. She thinks that the government should not blindly follow the Chinese government for the sake of a temporary benefit at the expense of democracy and freedom. Such a move could be detrimental to the law of Singapore and its future.

According to An, who emigrated from Singapore before July 1999, Falun Gong activities were free and large-scale group practises did not need a permit. However, since the persecution started in China, Falun Gong activities in Singapore have been interfered with and even prohibited.