TORONTO, July 3, 3pm - Falun Gong practitioners gathered at the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal today to hold news conferences to condemn the reported deaths of 15 female practitioners in a Chinese labor camp.

At least 15 female Falun Gong practitioners were tortured to death at Wanjia Labor Camp in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China, on or around June 20, 2001, according to sources inside China. Many others remain in serious condition as of this release. Supporters in Toronto and Ottawa will hold 24-hour vigils at the Chinese Embassy and Consulate calling for public support to stop the killing.

"We are shocked and saddened with the news. This massacre happened just 10 days after China passed new laws that legalize the execution of Falun Gong practitioners," said Falun Gong spokesperson Cindy Gu. "It's absurd that Jiang Zemin can get away with this for so long."

Media reports Jiang as stating, "Use all means necessary to exterminate Falun Gong." Hundreds of reported deaths of Falun Gong practitioners have thus far been labeled a result of 'suicide' or 'disease' by Jiang's regime. "Calling it a mass suicide is another attempt by the Jiang Zemin's propaganda machine to cover up the massacre and to defame Falun Gong," Gu said.

Around the same time as the deaths in Wanjia, police burned a practitioner alive and chained two others behind motorcycles, dragging them to their death, observers in China reported.

In the last month, 35 Chinese citizens who practice Falun Gong were reported to have died in police custody or as a result of police torture, bringing the total to at least 250 since the persecution began in July 1999. This is over a 1000% increase from the same time last year, when the number was reported as 20.

Falun Gong's teaching strictly prohibits any form of killing, including suicide. "The blatant contrast between the peaceful actions of Falun Gong practitioners around the world and the Chinese government's stories is obvious. We call for the international community to do a full independent investigation into these deaths. This brutality has got to stop," said Gu.

Posting date: 7/5/2001
Original article date: 7/3/2001
Category: News & Media Reports

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