(Clearwisdom.net) In Ottawa on the afternoon of May 12, 2004, the
Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Development of the Standing
Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade held a hearing on human
rights in China. Three Falun Gong representatives were invited to attend, and
they presented evidence from different perspectives to expose the persecution of
Falun Gong by Jiang's regime. They also answered questions from the members of
Parliament.
Crimes against Humanity and Genocide
When talking about why Jiang's regime wanted to persecute Falun Gong, Mr. Li
Xun cited an explanation from a diplomat, "The dictatorship wants to control the
people and possess a sense of authority. Falun Gong practitioners, who believe
in Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance, have the moral authority behind
them." Li Xun pointed out, "In fact, before the persecution, Chinese authorities
at various levels of government were supportive of Falun Gong and recognized the
practice with an award for 'the Highest Qigong.' Falun Gong gave tens of
millions of people healthy bodies and raised the moral standard of the Chinese
society. Falun Gong saved the country billions of yuan in medical expenses.
'Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance' is like a mirror, forming a sharp contrast
with all the lies, ugly things, and violence. The more Falun Gong practitioners
there were, the sharper the contrast was." Li Xun also pointed out, "Falun Gong
should be promoted; it is shame to persecute such a good practice."
A coordinator of the Canada Falun Dafa Association, Dai Gongyi, added: "No
rational person would persecute Falun Gong. The persecution of Falun Gong was
completely started at Jiang Zemin's personal discretion. Before the persecution,
six standing members of the Chinese Political Bureau were against the
persecution. However, out of jealousy, Jiang Zemin single-handedly pushed for
the persecution. The persecution is against humanity and has the characteristics
of genocide. Jiang Zemin proclaimed before the persecution started that Falun
Gong would be eradicated in three months. In the last several years, the
measures used by his regime to persecute Falun Gong have been extremely cruel." Another Canadian coordinator Mrs. Zhou Luqian added, "To eradicate Falun
Gong, Jiang Zemin specifically established the '610' offices, which are now
everywhere in China. The goal of these offices is to persecute Falun Gong; their
power overrides Chinese agencies and is above the law."
Persecution Is Occurring at Every Moment in China
Mrs. Zhou Luqian told the members of Parliament and the human rights experts
present that there are over 100 methods of torture used by Jiang's regime to
persecute Falun Gong practitioners. She explained, "These tortures are being
applied to Falun Gong practitioners at every moment. They include being
submerged in water, solitary confinement, electric shock, brutal beatings, and
so on. The victims of these tortures include people over 70 and as young as
eight. Falun Gong practitioners continue to be subjected to these tortures just
because they want to keep their belief in Truthfulness, Compassion, and
Tolerance, to appeal through legal procedures, and to explain the truth."
Li Xun explained that in order to realize the goal of eradicating Falun Gong,
Jiang implemented a policy for Falun Gong practitioners: "Defame their
reputations, destroy them physically, and bankrupt them financially." According
to the Australia Broadcast Company, nearly half of the detainees in the Chinese
labor camps are Falun Gong practitioners. He added, "Human rights organizations'
most conservative estimate of the number of people in the labor camps ranges
from 230,000 to two million. From these estimates, it can be surmised that a
vast number of Falun Gong practitioners are being detained in labor camps."
From information from China, the confirmed deaths of Falun Gong practitioners
number 961. Li Xun said that because of the tight censorship, the exact number
of deaths is hard to know. However, according to information from inside the
communist party, the deaths could be upwards of several thousand. He notes that
the persecution is taking place in all 30 provinces in China.
Many Falun Gong practitioners were sent to psychiatric hospitals. Li Xun told
of the mother of Canadian resident Miss Shi Bei. Miss Shi's mother died from
torture in a psychiatric hospital. Mrs. Zhou Luqian added that Falun Gong
practitioners were subjected not only to physical torture but also to spiritual
torture. Jiang's regime not only forced Falun Gong practitioners to express
their willingness to give up Falun Gong on TV, but also forced them to express
their gratitude to the torturers and brainwashers, causing Falun Gong
practitioners immense humiliation and emotional pain. According to Professor
Zhang Kunlun from Canada, who had personal experience of this emotional anguish,
this spiritual torture is even crueler than brutal physical torture.
Systematic Torture: Hate Propaganda and Extortion
Mr. Dai Gongyi said, "This persecution not only shattered the moral fiber of
the Chinese people but also wasted huge amounts of the nation's financial
resources, causing great harm to the country." Discussing the sources of funds
used in the persecution, Li Xun said that a large portion of the money comes
from the cash fines levied on Falun Gong practitioners. For example, before he
was rescued from China, Professor Zhang Kunlun had paid 10,000 yuan in fines. Another means of sustaining the persecution has been the relentless,
hate-inciting propaganda. For example, the state-run newspaper The People's
Daily published over 300 articles defaming Falun Gong in the very first
month of the systematic persecution of Falun Gong. The state TV stations
broadcast programs slandering Falun Gong constantly. This hate-filled propaganda
was spread throughout China.
Persecution Extended to Canada
Mr. Dai Gongyi said that Jiang's regime has extended the propaganda of hatred
all over the world. In Canada, for example, inflammatory, hate-inciting material
was sent to Canadian officials at various levels as well as to schools, unions,
and libraries.
Li Xun then gave two examples of the extension of persecution to Canada.
On August 16, 2002, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) ruled
that a Chinese TV station acted unfairly and improperly by linking Falun Gong
with a murder case during a news report on December 16, 2001. CBSC concluded
that the report violated four regulations, including the Code of Ethics on news
reports as listed in the Canadian Broadcast and TV Regulations, the code
regarding violent content, and the code of morality and ethics. The report was
therefore deemed to be improper and unjust. The Canadian Broadcast Standards
Council determined that no reliable evidence linked the murder case to Falun
Gong and the report, therefore, constituted an unjust attack on Falun Gong. The
CBSC requested that the TV station broadcast this conclusion during prime time.
In another example, a Canadian Falun Gong practitioner Joel Chipkar sued the
assistant consul general of the Chinese Consulate in Toronto for writing a
slanderous article in the Toronto Star that publicly defamed him. The
case was tried in the Supreme Court of Ontario and affirmed the defamation
charge against Pan Xinchun.
Li Xun pointed out further that this persecution has extended to Canadian
citizens. The family members and relatives of over 30 Canadian residents and
citizens are detained in China. Over 100 Falun Gong practitioners' family
members and relatives were subjected to various forms of torture because they
practiced Falun Gong in China.
The representatives of Falun Gong emphasized that Falun Gong practitioners
are not against any government. They only oppose this persecution. To illustrate
this point, according to Zhou Luqian, last year when Wen Jiabao visited Canada,
Falun Gong practitioners displayed three banners: "Falun Dafa is good," "Welcome
Wen Jiabao to Canada," and "Bring Jiang Zemin to Justice."
The three Falun Gong contact persons thanked the government of Canada for the
opportunity to attend the hearing. They appealed to the Canadian government to
demand that China end this persecution immediately.
Participants of the hearing included Eleni Bakopanos, Colleen Beaumier, David
Kilgour, Deepak Obhrai, Yves Rocheleau, Alexa McDonough, representatives from
Amnesty International, Freedom Now, and other human rights organizations, human
rights analysts, and assistants to the Members of Parliament.
Posting date: 5/23/2004
Original article date: 5/23/2004
Category: Falun Dafa Worldwide
Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2004/5/15/74758.html