Central News Agency: Ontario Human Rights Tribunal in Canada Rules that it is Illegal to Discriminate against Falun Gong Practitioners

(Clearwisdom.net) Central News Agency reported on January 28, 2006, that the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal in Canada ruled that the Ottawa Senior Chinese Cultural Association (OSCCA) terminated the membership of a member for practicing Falun Gong. This is a discriminatory act.

Seventy-three year-old Canadian citizen Ms. Huang Daiming, whose membership in the OSCCA was revoked, held a press conference at Ottawa's Parliament Hill. Accompanying her was the president of the Falun Dafa Association, Li Xun. Ms. Human Daiming said that she was very emotional and pleased after hearing about the human rights tribunal's judgment because the judgment conveys an important message: This is Canada, not China.

Ms. Huang said that on December 29, 2001, she participated in New Year celebration activities hosted by the OSCCA. Chinese Consul-General Huang Ping, accompanied by a director of the OSCCA, came over near the table where Ms. Huang Daiming was sitting. Shortly after Huang Ping left, the association announced that Ms. Huang Daiming could not participate in the association because she practices Falun Gong. On February 26, 2002, she was refused participation in another New Year celebration activity hosted by the association, and Falun Gong was slandered.

Ms. Huang eventually approached the Ontario Human Rights Commission and took legal action to sue the association. During this time, the respondents refused to reverse their decision. On November 15, 2005, Ms. Huang Daiming and the Ontario Human Rights Commission delivered a complaint to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal as the complainants.

Ms. Huang expressed her gratitude to the human rights commission and human rights tribunal. She was proud of their determination and courage to stamp out discrimination. She also wanted to thank many kind-hearted Chinese people for extending their support and help in her most difficult times.

Ms. Huang also called for an immediate end to the persecution of Falun Gong in Mainland China, and called for an end to the extension of the persecution outside China. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has poisoned the minds of many overseas Chinese who have not yet learned the facts of Falun Gong, and has turned them into tools for inciting hatred towards Falun Gong. In the face of the judgment, she hoped that the Chinese people and Chinese community would not be victims of the CCP's lies any more.

The Tribunal found that the Ottawa Senior Chinese Cultural Association had repeatedly confronted Ms. Huang about her beliefs in Falun Gong, publicly revoked her membership, participated in organizing petitions against her involvement in Falun Gong during OSCCA events, and subjected her to demeaning comments about her beliefs. The Tribunal also determined that these discriminatory acts exposed Ms. Huang to contempt and a loss of standing and isolation within her own cultural community, and were an affront to her dignity.

The tribunal ordered the association to pay Ms. Huang $10,000 for loss of dignity and $8,000 for mental anguish. The Ottawa Senior Chinese Cultural Association was also ordered to take a number of measures to achieve compliance with the Human Rights Code including: immediately allow the Complainant and any otherwise eligible Falun Gong practitioners to become members of the OSCCA; amend the OSCCA 's Constitution to incorporate anti-discrimination provisions; and, implement an anti- discrimination policy that specifically addresses the issue of creed.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/1/29/119744.html

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