Falun Gong Practitioners Appeal to End the 10-Year Persecution as Chinese Foreign Minister Visits Canada (Photos)
(Clearwisdom.net) On June 21, 2009, the foreign minister of China Yang Jiechi
arrived in Canada on a diplomatic visit. Human rights concerns in China once
again became a focal point for the Canadian people. Falun Gong practitioners held a rally outside the foreign
minister's hotel to protest the Chinese Communist regime's persecution of Falun
Gong practitioners. The practitioners also gathered in a rally outside Canada's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and called on the Canadian government to apply
pressure on the Chinese regime over human rights issues. The persecution continues after 10 years Mr. Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International's section in
Canada, told reporters that given the persecution of Falun Gong, democracy
activists, Tibetans, as well as the persecution of individuals who call for
human rights over the world wide web, there is at present very severe abuse of
human rights in China. Mr Neve said that the current human rights situation in China is very
worrisome when viewed from any angle. In the face of such significant and urgent
state of affairs, people who claim that human rights in China is improving are
doing a disfavor to the situation. He said that before we can feel assured about
the human rights status in China, there are too many things that need to be
done, in order for it to be on the right track. Falun Gong practitioner Zheng Zhi was originally from Liaoning Province. In
2006, he obtained a protection visa authorized by the UN before arriving in
Canada. In 2002, due to his refusal to give up his belief, Zheng was illegally
listed as a wanted person by Chinese police, and was forced to leave his wife
and 10-day-old child. He said, "The emotions I felt at that time are still
fresh in my mind. It felt like we were being torn apart by life and death, and I
did not know whether I would ever see them again. Because I refused to give up
cultivation, all of my relatives have suffered by implication." Zheng Zhi said, "The most severe part of the persecution is the mental
anguish and their attempts to destroy one's spirit. The Chinese Communist regime
has used various means to force Falun Gong practitioners to give up their
beliefs, and they include using family members, loss of your occupation, freedom
and threats to your very life. For example, they demanded that people in my
family and work place to sign a so-called "certificate of guarantee"
with the local 610 Office. They applied pressure on me through my
family and put me under 24 hour surveillance." According to Zheng, in order to capture Falun Gong practitioners, the
authorities adopted a "network grid" search tactic and formed a
"joint patrol" to arrest practitioners who exposed the persecution.
Zheng found it difficult to describe the physical torment which Falun Gong
practitioners have been put through in the persecution. On one occasion Zheng
was threatened by a police officer, "Falun Gong practitioners who go on
hunger strike in Masanjia [forced labor camp in Liaoning Province] are beaten
until their teeth fall out, then boiled water poured into their mouths. " Zheng said that in Liaoning Prison, there was one torture method in which
prison guards would use a newly made coin to scrape the armpits of female
practitioners until the coin was somewhat blunt, and a new one was put in place.
After a certain period of time, one would not be able to discern flesh from
blood, as the guards would continue their torture methods without so much as a
change in their expression. Ms. An from mainland China began to practice Falun Gong in 1994 and benefited
much from the practice. After the Chinese Communist regime's persecution began,
Ms. An's house was illegally ransacked before she was arrested, sentenced and
detained repeatedly. She described to reporters the inhumane torment she
suffered in detention centers. At the labor camp, female practitioners were stripped naked and put through
full body examinations. Their shoelaces, buttons and bra straps were cut with
scissors. Officers at the labor camp forced practitioners to recite prison rules
and to squat or stand in military training positions (for an entire day in each
position), and to stand in corners. They were also prohibited from going to the
toilet, sleeping, or changing clothes. Forced labor, including digging trenches, planting trees, creating land
fills, wrapping chopsticks, shearing lambskin were also part of the routine.
Many people suffered pelvic injuries due to the heavy labor and could not walk.
They were also forbidden to speak while working. Ms An said, "We were
forced to work non-stop, until midnight each day, sometimes even 3:00 a.m.,
otherwise we were not allowed to sleep. There was a certain quota which we
needed to reach each day." The suffering behind the "International Factory" Falun Gong practitioner Song Yufei spoke of his experiences of forced labor.
She said, "The work I had to carry out included packaging chopsticks,
creating promotional brochures for the Motorola V70 mobile phone, and making
candles which would be exported to Germany. The work was very heavy. Each
morning we began at 6:00 a.m. and worked until 10:00 p.m. People who were under
55 years of age had to wrap 7000 pairs of chopsticks per day, while those who
were over 55 had to wrap 5000 pairs of chopsticks. Some elderly people were
slower in their work, and they would be forced to work until they finished the
quota at midnight or 1 o'clock the next morning. There were also tin-coated
candles to be exported to Germany. There were 24 per bag, and we had to work
without breaks in order to meet the required progress of the police officers.
Each day we had approximately 10 minutes for breakfast, 15 minutes for lunch and
10 minutes to have dinner. We had 5 minutes each in the morning and night to
clean ourselves. There were also limits to the number of times we could go to
the restroom. " The choice between trade and human rights Under the global economic recession and the potential benefit of trade, how
to uphold fundamental ideals and values is an issue facing every democratic
country. On this topic Mr Neve said, "It is very important for the Canadian
government not to back down on this issue. Human rights should be our topmost
concern, the government needs to take any measure necessary to maintain pressure
on the Chinese government." Canadian MP Mr Larry Bagnell said, "Regardless of the economy, human
rights concerns are extremely important. Freedom is much more important than
money. The freedom of belief, freedom of speech and assembly, as well as
democracy are all more important than money. People should not give up the
protection of human rights in any corner of the world." Canadian Senator Mr Consiglio Di Nino was recently interviewed by reporters,
and said that at a peaceful protest outside the Chinese Consulate in Toronto, he
told the Chinese Consular General, "Falun Gong practitioners are sons and
daughters of China, you are persecuting your own people. Falun Gong is only
pursuing the right to believe in a peaceful and dignified manner. Falun Gong is
making the world a better place, and turning good people even better." In the past 10 years, Canada and other Western countries have attempted to
change the human rights situation in China through bilateral dialogues. However,
the effects have not been as hoped. China expert Dr Charles Burton has done many
years of research on the bilateral human rights dialogues. Prior to the Chinese
foreign minister's visit to Canada, he said, "Facts have proven, more than
10 years of human rights dialogue has had no positive impact on justice in
China's society. This is clearly evident from Chinese diplomat Lee Baodong's
rejection of all recommendations made by UN member states in relation to human
rights abuses in China, on the "Outcome Report on China," earlier this
year." Mr Neve suggested that the Canadian government take measures to help improve
the human rights status in China. He said, "We need joint measures to
ensure that human rights concerns form the core of all ties with China; it is
not to hold dialogues behind closed doors, while failing to take notice of any
human rights issues in all other diplomatic interaction." He also said,
"We want to ensure that while we consider matters of trade, cultural
exchange, immigration and education, as well as dealings with other members in
the UN, that we think about human rights issues. We need to discuss it in
private, as well as call out loudly and openly, where people can see." The Chinese Communist has no road to retreat Also at the rally was democracy activist Mr Shi Xingjian. He told reporters,
"The Chinese Communist regime has brought pain and suffering to the people
of China." Mr Shi was originally from Shandong Province in China. He spoke of a tragedy
which took place in Dongming County, close to his hometown, where government
officials have disregarded the lives of its people in seeking monetary gains
through chemical factories, therefore leading the region to become known as
"cancer county". With regard to recent anti-violence activities in China, Mr Shi said,
"At present, China's society is much like dried wood stock. Chinese people
have very strong abilities to endure, however, now they are standing up to
protect their rights, even if it may mean losing their lives. This signifies
that the dissatisfaction of Chinese people toward the Chinese Communist regime
has reached its peak, and the regime is facing the end of its days." Mr Shi said that he believed the Canadian government would make the correct
decisions, and uphold fundamental righteousness and justice.
Chinese version available at
http://www.minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/6/23/203304.html
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