Packet & Times (Ontario, Canada): Area siblings caught in China's crackdown [...], were jailed while in China for supporting Falun Gong

Many in Canadian society are against the persecution of others for their religious and spiritual beliefs, but they have not lived through that persecution.

Orillia-born twins Jason and Christine Loftus have seen this horror up close.

"They beat me, punched me, choked me and denied me food," said Jason, who spent about 27 hours in a Chinese prison this past February for his support of Falun Gong.

Falun Gong is a meditation and exercise practice that focuses on teaching truthfulness, compassion and tolerance that was founded in 1992 in China and is practised by more than 100 million people. The mediation [group] is outlawed in China, because the government saw the movement as a threat, he said.

Jason, 22, held a press conference in Beijing to announce to people that the banning of Falun Gong by the Chinese government is wrong and information the government provides is propaganda.

A month after his detainment, his twin sister Christine was inspired, so she went to China to voice her opinion and try to educate others.

Christine said when she was detained she talked to the officers in the prison and tried to teach them that what their government was doing was wrong.

"My main thoughts were about the officers," said Christine.

"I hoped I could have an effect."

Mary Loftus, the mother of the two advocates, said she wasn't "crazy about them going to China," but added "human rights has no borders."

Christine said she started practising Falun Gong four years ago after seeing people doing the exercise at a health show.

She said there was no pressure from the group for her to join.

"They looked so healthy and peaceful," said Christine.

The two Barrie residents were at Orillia City Hall on Friday on their petition campaign to raise support from politicians and citizens to order the release of 12 practitioners of Falun Gong, who are detained in China.

Also, two Canadian citizens have died and one is missing while in labour camps in China, they said.

The Loftus twins were joined by Youfen Zhang, Lisa Li, Tianying Peng and Nannan Qui, all of whom have family members detained in China.

Jason said last year more than 100,000 signatures were delivered to Jean Chretien's office, which he then delivered to the president of China at last year's APEC summit in Shanghai.

As a result, three Canadians were released from labour camps.

"What the goal of this is, is raising a stronger voice in Canada," said Jason.

Orillia Mayor Ron Stevens wrote a proclamation showing his support for the release of the detainees after which Stevens received packages from the Chinese Consulate saying he was not fully educated on Falun Gong.

Stevens said in Canada people are free to live however they choose and this was his reason for showing his support and dismissing the Chinese government's information.

"We live in a democratic society," said Stevens. "You need to be careful on how you handle responses to them."

Li, whose mother is in the Masanjia Labour Camp in Shenyang City for distributing material against the ban of Falun Gong in China, said Canada has been helpful and she hopes the support will continue as the people are living in pain.