Jul 20, 14:41 EDT

From Canadian Press

Canadian followers of the spiritual Chinese practice of Falun Gong are urging Ottawa to press China to end a year-old crackdown that includes beatings, mass jailings and torture of its adherents.

''If the governments of the world, including Canada, continue to maintain silence in the face of these violations, China may interpret this as international support for their course of action,'' Susan Mitchell told a news conference today in Toronto.

Mitchell, 51, who credits Falun Gong's meditative exercises with helping her overcome a kidney ailment, called on Canada to urge Beijing to begin a dialogue with members of the movement.

The Chinese government has labelled Falun Gong a dangerous and subversive cult. The movement's ability to mobilize followers for large-scale demonstrations is seen as a challenge to authorities in China, where political dissent is seldom tolerated.

Along with other countries, Canada has urged China to respect human rights but Beijing's crackdown has continued unabated.

Liberal MP Colleen Beaumier denounced the crackdown as an ''aggressive step backwards'' but suggested there's not much the world can do.

''Nobody is going to touch China with a 10-foot pole,'' said Beaumier, vice-chairperson of the foreign affairs committee. ''There is a huge consumer market there.''

But 22-year-old Zenon Dolnyckyj disagreed.

''I think they (Ottawa) should openly condemn them,'' said Dolnyckyj, who said Falun Gong - also known as Falun Dafa - helped him turn around his life of petty thievery and drug abuse.

While the movement claims an estimated 70 million followers in China, it's not clear how many there are in Canada because there are no membership lists or dues collected.

About 50 practitioners meditated outside the Ontario legislature during the lunch hour, one of several gatherings across the country to mark the first anniversary of Beijing's crackdown.