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Canadian Falun Gong Practitioners Hold Symbolic Trial of Jiang at Parliament Hill, Urge Prime Minister to Safeguard Human Rights (Photos)
(Clearwisdom.net, September 29, 2003) (Clearwisdom.net C Ottawa) On September 25,
at Parliament Hill and the Canadian Supreme Court in Ottawa, the Capital of Canada, several hundred
Falun Gong practitioners from Toronto and supporters held a grand rally, a parade and staged a
symbolic trial to try the chief perpetrator, Jiang Zemin, who launched the persecution of Falun
Gong. Practitioners also called on the Canadian Premier, who plans to visit China, to help rescue
their family members who are being persecuted in China and help end the four-year-long persecution.
Representative of the "Word Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong" (WOIPFG)
Matt Hildebrand delivered a speech. Six Parliament members attended the rally and gave supportive
speeches. They were: MP Irwin Cotler, President of the Human Rights Committee, MP Stockwell Day,
Canadian Alliance Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, MP Libby Davies, MP Rob Anders, MP Keith
Martin and MP David Kilgour. Grand trial in the court of morality Around 11 am, a solemn trial in the court of morality started. Defendant Jiang was charged with
committing genocide, torture and crimes against humanity. Several witnesses used their personal
suffering of persecution as examples to expose the crimes and murder committed by Jiang and his 610
Office against millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China, as well as their poisonous deception
and mental torture of innocent people over the world. Rob Anders said in his speech that the persecution of the peaceful Falun Gong practitioners is a
persecution of humanity's fundamental morality; it is an attack on morality and freedom. Jiang
Zemin's persecution of Faun Gong in China has employed information institutions, labor camps and
psychiatric hospitals. It has used the state-controlled media to deceive and threaten its own
people. These coercive and suppressive measures have been extended to other countries. Large amounts
of evidence shows that the Chinese Consulates and Embassies use exactly this kind of means to spread
the anti-Falun Gong propaganda to other countries. In addition, in Canada, they even threatened
Falun Gong practitioners. At present, Jiang Zemin is facing a global trial for the crimes he has
committed. Human rights attorney Irwin Cotler stated his view on the global trial of Jiang, saying that from
a human rights perspective, every country has the responsibility to sue and extradite those world
criminals whose crimes are irrefutable. This is also part of a global effort to break away from
situations in which someone can escape from being punished; instead, they should be investigated
under the law, so as to ensure that human rights criminals no longer have the immunity under the law
but will be held accountable for what they have done. This kind of effort is one of the
responsibilities of the world judiciary system in the 21st century. MP Libby Davies said that it is very important to apply legal measures to punish the criminals
according to law. At the same time, we still need more common people's persistent help: those who
come to the Parliament, those who meet with Members of Parliament, different organizations. Then at
the political layer, we need help from the United Nations and Canadian government. With all these
efforts, we will achieve the momentum we need. Therefore, I think the legal challenge and the active
prosecution and trial of Jiang are very important. Representatives of "World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong"
and "Global Alliance to Bring Jiang to Justice" also joined this public tribunal. The
representative of WOIPFG announced the most recent results of the investigation on Jiang and the 610
Office's hate crimes. Rescue Trip To rescue family members who are being persecuted in China, Toronto Falun Gong practitioners
started a bike trip. After eight days of arduous journey, seven Falun Gong practitioners
successfully arrived at the Parliament Hill in Ottawa this morning. Toronto practitioner Mr. Sun
Dali said when he was interviewed, "During the trip, practitioners overcame physical and
technical difficulties as well as bad weather. We successfully spread the information about Dafa and
the persecution of Dafa in China to the governments and people of over the 10 cities along the way.
We received broad support from the Canadian people. We hope the Prime Minister will utilize this
opportunity of visiting China to urge the Chinese government to stop the persecution and release
Falun Gong practitioners, including our family members." Sun Dali's aunt is currently
imprisoned in Wangcun Forced Labor Camp in Shangdong Province for practicing Falun Gong. During the one-day activity, Falun Gong practitioners delivered a petition letter to the Prime
Minister's office and talked with his assistant, who promised to pass the petition letter as well as
practitioners appeal to the Prime Minister. Support from MPs The six Members of Parliament who joined the rally today all expressed that they had already used
different means to urge the Canadian Prime Minister to raise human rights issue in China and urge
China to end the persecution of Falun Gong during his visit, and they would continue to do so. MP Irwin Cotler said when answering reporters' questions that we must clearly express to China:
How you treat Falun Gong will become a criteria to judge whether the China-Canada relationship can
be improved and whether China can be respected in the International community. Falun Gong is not
only related to China, but it is also echoed in the international community. MP Libby Davies stated that she and many other MPs had written letters and held news conferences
to urge the Canadian Prime Minister to call for an end to the persecution. Davies said that the MPs
would like to let the Prime Minister know that although trade and business relationships are
important, we have to give human rights the first priority. We must have determination to
persistently appeal and constantly call for the government to be the leader of human rights, rather
than to follow other's footsteps. Instead of being a silent partner, we should be the leader of
calling for safeguarding the rights of China's Falun Gong practitioners and express to the Chinese
government that Canada will not put these fundamental human rights beneath trade, but above trade.
Although, sometimes, the road to justice can be long, and we might encounter frustration and
obstacles, nevertheless, we are persisting. MP Stockwell Day said in his speech that if we forgot or ignored raising the fundamental
questions of freedom, love, tolerance and justice, we would lose all others. MP David Kilgour stated at the rally that
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