On the evening of July 20th, 2010, local Falun Dafa practitioners held a candle light vigil in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Toronto, Canada to commemorate fellow practitioners killed for practising their beliefs in China.
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| John Zhang, representing the local Falun Dafa Association, delivers a statement in front of Chinese General Consulate in Toronto | Candle light vigil in front of Chinese Consulate General in Toronto on July 20th, 2010, marking eleven years of persecution in China |
According to Falun Gong websites, at least 3397 Falun Dafa practitioners are confirmed to have died in the persecution of Falun Gong in China since 1999. Many more remain missing and countless are still jailed and tortured in communist China's prisons and forced labor camps.
John Zhang, a representative of Toronto's Falun Dafa Association, talked about the death of 17-year-old Chen Ying from Jiamus City, Heilongjiang Province. Chen, a student, was the first practitioner confirmed killed in the persecution back in 1999.
"We can't forget, in order to expose the CCP's lies and to let the world know the truth about Falun Gong, Falun Gong practitioners in mainland China have suffered 11 years. They have endured all sorts of torture methods from ancient to modern, even live organ harvesting. Thousands of practitioners have been jailed and numerous more forced to leave home," Zhang said.
Mr. Li, a painter who came to Toronto one and a half months ago, confirmed that many of the practitioners he had known were abducted or illegally sentenced to jail. He was arrested in Beijing on July 20, 1999, and has been frequently harassed and under police surveillance ever since.
Mr. Lu Fang, a former director of the Chinese Ministry of Construction, arrived in Toronto in February 2010. He talked about his own experiences of long hours of heavy labour work and forced brainwashing in a Chinese forced labour camp. Once he was ordered to carry heavy bags until he was dizzy and vomiting, and was sent to emergency.
He said that over the past 11 years, while Falun Gong practitioners have been brutally persecuted, the conscience and morality of all of Chinese society has been sliding down a slippery slope. "The persecution has lasted 11 years. It must not continue any longer!" he said.
Background
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline for mind and body. The practice involves slow, gentle movements and meditation. It is easy to learn, enjoyable to practise, and free of charge. Its principles are based on Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The practice began in China in 1992 and quickly spread by word of mouth throughout China and then beyond. Its beneficial effects in uplifting an individual's physical, mental, and spiritual health, not to mention its positive influence in the community and society as a whole, have been undeniable. In fact, Falun Gong is practiced by over 100 million people in 60 countries. The main works of Falun Gong are available in over 30 languages.
On July 20th, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a brutal persecution of Falun Gong. Since the start of the persecution, Falun Gong practitioners throughout the world have been constantly speaking out about the truth of Falun Gong and exposing the CCP's crimes in a tireless effort to end the persecution.
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