Letter from the United Steelworkers of America to the Chinese Ambassador to Canada

United Steelworkers of America
Lawrence McBrearty
August 27 2001

Ambassador to Canada
People's Republic of China
515 St Patrick Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 5H3

Dear Ambassador:

My name is Lawrence McBrearty and I am the National Director for Canada of the United Steelworkers of America. The Steelworkers is one of North America's largest and most important industrial unions. In Canada alone, we have close to 200,000 members.

Many of our members, especially in urban centers like Toronto and Vancouver, are of Chinese origin, and have many family members in China. Chinese Steelworker members have brought to my attention their grave concerns about the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners by Chinese government and police authorities.

For over two years, the world news media has been reporting the brutal suppression of followers of Falun Gong (or Falun Dafa) in the People's Republic of China. As of August 6 of this year, rights' groups report that 262 Falun Gong practitioners have been murdered, executed, or have died as the result of injuries from punishment. Estimates of those detained or beaten go as high as 50,000 men, women, and children.

The devotees of Falun Gong are not violent or militaristic or involved in conspiratorial insurrection. The practice of Falun Gong involves meditative exercises and a commitment to compassion and tolerance.

We call on you to convey to your government our opposition to this brutal assault on the basic human rights of the practitioners of Falun gong. I look forward to hearing from you on this desperately important matter.

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Sincerely

Lawrence Mcbrearty
National Director for Canada
LMcB/dk
Opeiu-343

cc: Chinese Consulate in Toronto
(240 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5R 2P4)

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