(Clearwisdom.net) Clearwisdom correspondent Dong Na reports in Ottawa: Falun Gong practitioners from Montreal and Ottawa began celebrating the 12^th anniversary of Falun Dafa's introduction to the public on May 8, 2004, featuring a grand parade, dancing performance, photo exhibit, public speeches, and exercises.

On May 8, 2004, a Falun Gong contingent composed of Western and Chinese practitioners and young practitioners marched through main streets in downtown Ottawa and Chinatown to the music of "Pu Du" and "Ji Shi." Wherever they went, passersby stopped and watched them. Residents and tourists accepted Falun Gong truth clarification brochures and VCDs from the practitioners.

Ottawa's forecast of overcast and a rainy day turned out to be a clear and fine day with warm sunshine. At 1:00 p.m., the parade reached Parliament Hill where Montreal practitioners performed their personally composed dance "Tang Music" that was based in Chinese traditional culture. The dancers' beautiful and elegant costumes, graceful and gentle dancing accompanied by melodious music brought the audience wonderful feelings and won rounds of applause. The "Fan Dance" delighted the audience with its lively rhythm and beautiful arrangement. Young practitioners' singing displayed their pure and kind nature. Lastly, practitioners demonstrated the exercises.

Since 1992 when Mr. Li Hongzhi introduced Falun Dafa for the first time to the public in China, Falun Dafa widely spread to more than 60 countries. Over 100 million people of different nationalities are practicing it. Zhuan Falun has been translated into more than 20 languages and spread widely among people. During the last 12 years, wherever Falun Dafa was introduced, people valued virtues and their moral standard upgraded.

Falun Gong practitioner Li Zhili said to reporters, "I've practiced Falun Gong for nearly eight years; I have been healthy and my moral standard has been upgraded. During my cultivation, I've strived hard to conduct myself according to 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,' and experienced happiness of life. Falun Dafa brings a true wonderfulness to each living being. But with Jiang's group's nearly five-year persecution and lots of deceptive lies, many people have missed such a good opportunity. Today, through this event, we can allow more people to know Falun Dafa. This is one of my wishes. "

Falun Gong practitioner Li Dan said, "Before practicing Falun Gong, I had illnesses and a bad temper. I often quarreled with my husband. After practicing cultivation according to Falun Dafa's principle 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,' I became healthy both physically and mentally. Seeing my tremendous changes, my husband changed from disbelieving in Falun Gong to believing it and supporting me. My 14-year-old son also joined me in cultivation."

A 17-year-old high school student, who just came to Canada recently from Beijing, said to the reporters, "Before the beginning of the persecution, walking in a park, everyone could see Falun Gong practitioners doing the exercises. When the Chinese authorities persecuted Falun Gong, the atmosphere was extremely terrifying with assistance of lies and propaganda. If you were at school or in class, and you wanted to tell them the truth, you would risk being expelled from school. I can understand Falun Gong practitioners going to Tiananmen Square to clarify the truth. Though I'm not a practitioner, I hope I can be as kind as them."

Not long ago, Ms. Lucy Zhou who won the Humanitarianism Ottawa Citizen Award expressed in an interview that though going through five years' tribulations, Falun Gong practitioners have endured unnamed hardships, with their great compassion and tolerance endowed by "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." In their perseverance of their peaceful journey of opposing the persecution worldwide, they have brought the wonderfulness of Falun Dafa to people, enabling many people to learn about the truth. The persecution of Falun Gong will ultimately come to an end, and the first light of morning is just in front."

Ms. Lucy Zhou was issued the award for her spirit of unselfishness in rescuing innocent Falun Gong practitioners who were persecuted in China during the past few years and her persistence in introducing the values of Falun Gong and its exercises to communities, high schools and universities, the media and so on. It was also because she took legal action to stop the one-sided and continuous instigation of hatred from some media and punish those who committed torture and crimes against humanity.

At dusk, the parade group reached the Chinese Embassy to commemorate Falun Gong practitioners who sacrificed their lives for their persistence in their belief. According to Clearwisdom statistics, in the past few months of this year forty-seven Falun Gong practitioners were verified to have died as a result of the persecution, so that the total confirmed number of practitioners who have died from the persecution reached 955.

According to Falun Gong practitioners Dai Gongyu, Canadian Falun Gong practitioners are seeking legal means to punish the head criminal of persecuting Falun Gong. As it estimated, from October 2002 to date, Jiang Zemin and his "610 Office" that was set up especially for persecuting Falun Gong, have had lawsuits filed against them in several countries including Chicago in the US, Spain, Taiwan, Germany, Korea, and Belgium.