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Canadian MP Gurmant Grewal Writes to Prime Minister Jean Chretien: "I Therefore Urge You to Call Upon the Government of the PRC in the Strongest Terms to Cease Its Persecution of Falun Gong Practitioners."
(Clearwisdom.net) March 18, 2003 Prime Minister Jean Chretien Dear Mr. Prime Minister: Human rights should be one of the guiding principles in Canadian international
relations. It is therefore disappointing that the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), our third-largest
trading partner, continues to have a deplorable record of human rights abuse, as exhibited in its
suppression of Falun Gong practitioners. The Falun Gong movement led to the largest and most protracted public
demonstrations in China since the democracy movement of 1989, In April 1999, an estimated 10,000 to
30,000 adherents assembled in front of Zhongnanhai, the Chinese Communist Party leadership compound,
and participated in a silent protest against state repression of their activities. The Chinese
government responded by outlawing the movement and beginning to arrest Falun Gong protesters. It
closed teaching stations and practice sites and detained and questioned over 30,000 participants,
releasing most of them after them promised to quit or identified group organizers. The PRC prosecutors have charged Falun Gong leaders with various crimes, [...].
The government has ordered Chinese lawyers not to defend Falun Gong leaders without prior approval
from the Office of Legal Administration. An estimated 150 to 450 Falun Gong group leaders and other members have been
tried and sentenced to prison terms of up to 18 years, A further 10,000 followers have endured long
periods of detention or "labour re-education." Human rights organizations claim that 400
adherents have died in custody, mostly from torture. The PRC regularly detains individuals for exercising their rights to freedom of
association, freedom of religion and freedom of expression, including the rights to impart and
receive information, and other basic rights. Such violations include lengthy detention without
charge or trial and depriving defendants of access to legal counsel. In its 2002 report Amnesty International Canada reports serious human rights
violations in China are on the increase. Torture and ill treatment remain widespread and appear to
be increasing against certain groups. A "Strike hard" campaign against crime has led to a
massive escalation in death sentences and executions. Canada responded enthusiastically to Deng Xiaoping opening up his country
economically and trying to become a member in good standing of the international community. Today
our two-way trade with China totals nearly $17-billion. Since becoming Prime Minister you have
visited China five times, and your cabinet ministers have visited China a combined 44 times on state
business. The Canadian International Development Agency's China program has a portfolio of
51 bilateral projects and official development assistance to China was $67 million in 2001, making
Canada China's sixth largest donor country. China is currently Canada's greatest source of immigrants, and there are now 1
million Canadians of Chinese origin. There are upwards of 8,000 Chinese students per year who come
to study in Canada. One is left to conclude that we have embraced the PRC with open arms. It appears, however, that we have had little influence on China in the area of
human rights. Despite the Joint Committee on Human Rights and CIDA programming the Chinese
government continues to abuse the rights of its citizens. Should we be questioning the belief that
engagement, rather than isolation, will effect a sustained improvement in the human rights
situation? Just last week the BBC reported that Han Zhubin, China's top prosecutor, told
lawmakers at a session of the National People's Congress, "We should vigorously fight
separatists, terrorists and evil cult organizers for the sake of national security." This
statement is a discouraging sign for those hoping that the change in China's government may signal a
relaxation of the clampdown on Falun Gong practitioners. Human rights must be an integral part of our foreign policy and a consideration
in any relationship Canada has with another country. We must promote and protect human rights. I
therefore urge you to call upon the government of the PRC in the strongest terms to cease it
persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Yours Sincerely Gurmant Grewal, M.P. Posting date: 4/14/2003 |