Vancouver – At an all candidate debate in Vancouver-Kingsway riding, organized by Chinese Radio am1320 on October 4, 2008, Liberal Party candidate Wendy Yuan, speaking of Liberal Party policy regarding the rights abuses against Falun Gong in China, stated that "for Falun Gong, our policy is not to interfere in other country's internal affairs"; all the remaining candidates spoke in favour of protecting the basic rights of Falun Gong practitioners.
Clive Ansley, Chairman of the CIPFG, Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, is demanding that Liberal Party Leader Stephane Dion disassociate the Liberal Party from Wendy Yuan's indefensible position which in effect holds that the torture, genocide, and mass murder of Falun Gong practitioners for the purpose of harvesting their organs are internal Chinese issues, and that Liberal Party policy is to turn a blind eye toward these atrocities.
Ansley stated that "Human Rights are universal and non-partisan. It was shocking to hear from Ms. Yuan that the Liberal policy toward genocide, torture, and murder for the theft of organs is to cooperate with the Chinese Communist Party's cover-up of its crimes. Under International Law, Human Rights abuses and Crimes Against Humanity can never be considered the internal affairs of any sovereign state. No state is permitted, under International Law, to violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention Against Torture, or the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity. It is imperative that Stephan Dion, in the light of Ms. Yuan's troubling statement, make absolutely clear whether the Liberal Party stands on the side of International Law or on the side of the Chinese Communist Party ( the most prolific perpetrator of Crimes Against Humanity in this era)."
"We have written to Dion and still await his reply," said Lucy Zhou and Sue Zhang, Falun Dafa Association of Canada.
Background: What is happening to Falun Gong in China
Falun Gong is a spiritual practice based on principles of "Truth-Compassion-Forbearance" and five sets of gentle exercises and meditation. It was widely accepted in China before 1999 when the persecution started because of Falun Gong's popularity. The CCP leader at the time, Jiang Zemin, declared that the CCP must defeat Falun Gong.
For the past nine years, the persecution of Falun Gong has been a crucial and essential part of the ubiquitous Human Rights abuses in China which are now endemic across the nation. UN Special Rapporteur Manfred Nowak reaffirmed in his 2007 report that Falun Gong practitioners account for 66 % of torture victims in government custody. US State Department annual reports confirm that Falun Gong adherents constitute at least half the 250,000 officially recorded inmates in reeducation-through-labour camps, while the real number likely is much higher.
The Hon. David Kilgour, former Liberal MP, and Mr. David Matas, renowned human rights lawyer, concluded in their independent investigation report that "there has been and continues today to be large scale organ seizures from unwilling Falun Gong practitioners" by the "the government of China and its agencies in numerous parts of the country"; "the widespread killing of Falun Gong practitioners for profit to provide organs for transplants is "so shocking that it represents a new form of evil on this planet."
The Falun Dafa Information Center has documented more than 3,100 deaths of Falun Gong practitioners while undergoing torture. Many more cases of detention and death remain unreported, as the Chinese regime imposes an information blockade, and reporting these cases to outside authorities constitutes a severe "crime" of "leaking state secrets." Documentation is notoriously difficult in China and the real number of practitioners murdered by the Chinese Communist Party almost certainly numbers in the tens of thousands.
Millions upon millions of Falun Gong practitioners have lost their jobs, housing, education, and all basic rights and have been incarcerated and tortured for refusing to give up their beliefs. No lawyer is allowed to defend them. Lawyer Gao Zhisheng, "the conscience of Chinese lawyers," lost his licence to practise, his law firm was shut down, and he was himself incarcerated for defending a Falun Gong practitioner, and for writing to Chinese leaders calling for an end to the persecution.
Persecution affects Canadians
The persecution also affects Canadians. Currently, thirteen family members of Canadians are currently incarcerated in China for their belief in Falun Gong. Yue Yao, wife of Canadian resident Wenyu Liu in Calgary, is one of 12 jailed practitioners with Canadian ties. In 2001 Ms. Yao was sentenced to 12 years in prison for downloading information from Falun Gong websites and printing leaflets for distribution. Mr. Jian Ma, husband of Ms. Yao Lian in Montreal, is currently serving 2.5 years in forced labor camp for having Falun Gong-related documents at his home.
Contact: Clive Ansley Tel: 250-334-3586 or 250-792-3547
Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG)
