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Canadian MP James Lunney Asks Prime Minister of Canada to Raise the Issue of the Persecution of Falun Gong in China During APEC Conference
(Clearwisdom.net) October 14, 2003 The Right Hon. Jean Joseph Jacques Chr tien Dear Mr.Chr tien, Re: APEC Conference/China Visit In as much as you will be leading the Canadian Delegation to the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference, in Bangkok and subsequently visiting China, I wish to raise
the issue of the persecution of religious minorities in China. Thousands of practitioners of Falun
Gong, Christianity and other religious minorities suffer imprisonment and torture under this
oppressive regime. Mr. Yingyi Chen of Nanaimo, one of my constituents has endured great stress over
the status of his mother, a Falun Gong practitioner who wishes to immigrate to Canada. Mr. Chen's
sister, Chen Yinghua was imprisoned and on a hunger strike for an extended period. Force feeding
through a gastric tube resulted in internal damage. Although she and several others have just been
released on the eve of the conference, I urge you to persist in raising concerns for the thousands
who continue in prison and in persecution. Please use your meetings with China's leaders to express Canada's concern, alarm
and repugnance of these practices. I especially draw attention to your meeting with past President
Mr. Jiang Zemin, now chairman of the Central Military Commission who appears to be the architect and
proponent of these repressive practices. I urge you to instruct Foreign Minister Bill Graham and
International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew to raise these issues with their respective
counterparts. I am sure Canadians will join the persecuted Chinese in appreciating every effort. Sincerely, James D. Lunney, MP |