August 21, 2001

Three practitioners of Falun Gong met with Charlottetown Mayor George MacDonald Monday morning to discuss the persecution of Falun Gong members by the Chinese government.

The spiritual practice, which involves meditation exercises, was founded by Li Hongzhi who currently lives in the United States. He made the practice public in 1992 and taught it in China for two years. The practice now has millions of followers in over 40 countries.

It was outlawed in China on July 22,1999, soon after it was reported that practitioners exceeded the number of people in the Communist party.

Alice Huynh, a practitioner of Falun Gong for three years, said since that time tens of thousands of men, women and children in China have been beaten and tortured and hundreds have died in police custody.

Huynh, a teacher living in Toronto, along with Yuk Suet Lee and Yong Sun are travelling around the Atlantic provinces as part of a Canada wide tour to inform people about the practice and gather public and political support.

Huynh said her meeting with the mayor was very uplifting.

"He's a wonderful man," Huynh said. "He's kind and nice and once he saw that the practice upholds the principles of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance, he said he would be happy to offer his support."

MacDonald said he believes these principles are qualities that any country should value. MacDonald said his first major encounter with Falun Gong followers occurred in May when he was in Ottawa and a large number of them were meditating on Parliament Hill.

"I don't know a great deal about the politics of the country and why are being persecuted," MacDonald said. "But I will certainly write a letter in support of what they stand for."

Huynh and her group also passed along information to Premier Pat Binns, Hillsborough MP Shawn Murphy and Solicitor General Lawrence MacAulay, asking for their support against Chinese persecution.

Before meeting with the mayor, Huynh was out in front of Pronvince House collecting signatures for a petition while Lee and Sun performed meditation.

The petition is asking for the release of the husband of Canadian citizen Jinyu Li who has been in a Chinese labour camp for the last 18 months. It also asks the Canadian government to put pressure on China to cease its crackdown on Falun Gong followers.

Huynh said so far Canadian signatures have helped rescue a Canadian student and a Canadian citizen from torture in China.

"When these people are being persecuted in China, their voices cannot be heard. Only people outside China can give them some support," Huynh said. "And it doesn't have to be Falun Gong practitioners themselves. It can be anybody."

Huynh's tour is part of a global campaign which includes Australia, The United States, Germany, UK, France and Sweden.