Toronto: Practitioners Hold Press Conference to Call for Rescue of More Family Members (Photo)
By Falun Gong practitioners in Toronto
(Clearwisdom.net) On June 15, 2004, at 11:00 a.m. Toronto
Falun Gong practitioners held a press conference on the grounds of Queens Park,
the Ontario Provincial Parliament buildings, and expressed their gratitude to
the Ontario Provincial government and Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs)
for their support over the past few years in rescuing Ontario resident's family
member, Falun Gong practitioner He Lizhi, and called for help rescuing the
mothers of three more Ontario residents, Zeng Xiaonan, Xiao Jing and Liang Biao.
The three mothers are being held in prison and brainwashing centers in China for
practicing Falun Gong.
John Zhang read a statement from the Falun Dafa Association
of Canada. The statement expressed gratitude to Ontario Provincial government
and Federal government for their support in rescuing He Lizhi over the past
three years. He said, "Three years ago, at this same place, we held a press
conference to launch a rescue of Ontario resident Zhang Li's husband He Lizhi."
He Lizhi was a respected senior civil engineer in Beijing, and has been detained
in prison for three and a half years for practicing Falun Gong. "We express our
thanks to all people and MPPs in Ontario, Amnesty International and other
non-governmental organizations. With their support, He Lizhi was able to arrive
in Canada." Amnesty International (Canada) listed He Lizhi as a "prisoner
of conscience" in 2002, and called on the Canadian people to help secure his
release. He Lizhi thanked Canadian Federal government, Ontario Provincial
government and Amnesty International, and then told of the persecution he
suffered in China's prison. "On July 21, 2000, I was illegally detained and
sentenced to three and a half years of prison for mailing Falun Gong
truth-clarification materials to my friends and colleagues, and denouncing state
media's lies. During the detention, I suffered physical torture and mental
torment, causing great damage to my health. I had once had a high fever for 45
days, and my chest was in acute pain, but I was not treated. Forced labor made
me vomit blood, and my feet were too swollen to walk. My lung and kidney were
severely inflamed. When the weather was bad, I had difficulty breathing.
Especially during the outbreak of SARS epidemic, we were incarcerated in stuffy
prison cell to labor." He Lizhi also testified how prison guards brutally tortured
other Falun Gong practitioners. He said, "I often heard women, Falun Gong
practitioners, screaming excruciatingly while being force-fed." Though he has been in Canada for nearly a month, he could not
forget his experience in prison. He said, "I'm still shocked at the ordeal I
experienced. Sometimes, when I woke up, I felt I was in a dream by being
reunited with my wife in Toronto." Toronto residents Zeng Xiaonan introduced the situation of
his mother Huang Xinzeng. He said, "Huang Xinzeng was pharmacist at Shenyang
City's Shenbei Hospital. She had retired early due to all kinds of illnesses,
but after beginning the practice of Falun Gong, her health recovered. She has
been arrested four times for practicing Falun Gong. The third time, she was left
with injuries all over her body, and her weight dropped by half. My family
member took her home when she was on the last gasp of breath" Zeng Xiaonan spoke
of the dangerous situation her mother is facing after being arrested the fourth
time, "In 2003, the police once again abducted my mother, and sentenced her to
eight years in prison. She was held in Liaoning Province's Women Prison, and
then transferred to Prison Hospital where she was forced to take mind altering
drugs usually used for psychiatric patients. She would be beaten if she showed a
bit resistance. She was shocked with electric batons and sustained injuries all
over her body. Her limbs were tied up for a long period of time until she had no
strength to resist." Zeng Xiaonan said, "The drugs she was forced to take, over a
long time, has left my mother dizzy and sleepy. Her tongue has become too stiff
to speak, her responses are slow, and she often feels that worms are climbing
around in her brain." David Tompkins read a letter representing the three Toronto
residents Zeng Xiaonan, Xiao Jing and Liang Biao to the Premier and all MPPs.
The letter mentioned that Xiao Jing's 66-year-old mother Li Guangzhen was
arrested at Gong'an County, Hubei Province this March for distributing Falun
Gong truth clarification flyers. As she refused to renounce Falun Gong, she was
sent to Wuhan City Brainwashing Class for persecution. Liang Biao's 66-year-old
mother Huang Xiuchao was sentenced to four years in prison for practicing Falun
Gong, and is being held at Guangdong Province's Women Prison where she was
forced to attend brainwashing classes and forbidden to meet with family members. The letter states, "While our parents suffer, we endure the
similar pain. Many nights, Xiao Jing could not fall asleep because of his
mother's arrest. Zeng Xiaonan had a broken heart upon hearing his mother
suffering so much brutal torture. We are very much worried about our mother's
safety." The letter called on the Ontario government to immediately
help rescue three mothers, namely, Huang Xinzeng, Li Guangzhen and Huang Xiuchao.
"Mr. Premier, we request you to write to the Chinese government to help secure
early release of our mothers." In replying to reporters' questions, Zeng Xiaonan said,
"through making phone calls, sending letters, getting on Internet and the
media's reports, we have exposed the prison guards' brutal persecution of my
mother. I also hope that Ontario government and MPPs directly contact the
Liaoning Provincial government, or work through Canadian ambassador in Beijing
to rescue my mother." "A letter, a phone call or any other help will play an
active role in improving my mother's situation." Zeng Xiaonan finally said, "I reserve the right to file a
lawsuit against the officials and guards who participated in the persecution of
my mother."
Falun Gong practitioners at the press conference: (from left to right) David
Tompkins, John Zhang, He Lizhi and Zeng Xiaonan
Chinese version available at
http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2004/6/17/77265.html
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