Canadian Parliament Unanimously Passes Motion Requesting the Release of 13 Falun Gong Practitioners' Family Members

October 24, 2002, Ottawa -- In advance of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference, the Canadian House of Commons today passed by unanimous consent a Private Members Motion submitted by MP Scott Reid. The motion expressed that in the opinion of the House of Commons, the Canadian Prime Minister should use the opportunity of APEC to talk with PRC head Jiang Zemin and call for the release of 13 imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners with close family ties to Canada in the interests of better trade relations between Canada and China.

The action was described by one MP staff member as "a great achievement for a Private Members motion, which rarely receive all party support in the House..."

News of this event was broadcast widely on CTV and CBC Radio.

The text of the motion follows:

FROM THE OFFICE OF SCOTT REID, MP

PRIVATE MEMBERS MOTION (M-236)

A RESOLUTION ON FALUN GONG

That, in the opinion of this House, the Prime Minister should take advantage of his upcoming meeting with President Jiang Zemin of China at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation [APEC] Conference to privately raise the issue of the continued imprisonment in China of thirteen [13] Falun Gong practitioners who have close family ties to Canada, and to emphasize that Canadians would be more willing to strengthen existing trade and aid ties between Canada and China if these individuals (namely, Lizhi He; Xiuzhen Lu; Tianxiong Peng; Zhanzhong Wu; Xiuchao Huang; Bo Qiu; Yueli Yang; Yangtao Jin; Jiangang Huang; Guangshou Huang; Mingli Lin; Zhou Zheng; and Changzheng Sun) were re-united with their families in Canada.