Ottawa, March 13, 2002 -- Over 50 Falun Gong practitioners start a 36-hour hunger strike on Parliament Hill this morning to appeal to Canada to stop the Chinese president's order to "Kill (Falun Gong practitioners) without Mercy." Police have received orders to "shoot (them) on sight" when seen handing out or posting Falun Gong flyers in China.

So far 4 practitioners have been reported shot and cities and provinces across China have now reportedly compiled lists of specific Falun Gong practitioners to execute.

Activities on Wednesday March 13, Ottawa

News Conference 1:00pm in front of Parliament Hill

Deliver letter to PM Office 1:45pm Prime Minister Office

Candle Light Vigil 6:30-8:30pm in front of Parliament Hill

Zenon Dolnyckyj of Toronto, who initiated the hunger strike, said: "This is an absolute emergency and emergency action is needed. We have peacefully and rationally appealed in every possible way we can think of for the last 2 years. Now police are ordered to shoot people in the streets. I hope our self-sacrifice will awaken the compassion of our leaders to fulfill their international responsibility and stop the state terrorism in China." Zenon made international headlines when he appealed in Beijing last November.

The 36-hour hunger strike starts at 9am on Wednesday and finishes at 9pm on Thursday.

Next week, United Nations conference on human rights will take place in Geneva. This year, no country has initiated a resolution to condemn China's notorious human rights record.

BACKGROUND

Following a March 5, surprise broadcast of TV programs supporting Falun Gong in northeastern China, a furious president is said to have ordered, "Kill them without mercy," immediately following the event. Other cities and provinces across China have now reportedly compiled, following the president's command, lists of specific Falun Gong practitioners to execute.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a powerful self-improvement practice based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. Mr. Li Hongzhi introduced it to the public in 1992. Since then, millions of individuals around the world have taken up the peaceful, meditative practice. Due to its popularity in China, Falun Gong was banned by Jiang Zemin's totalitarian regime in 1999. According to government sources, at least 1,600 practitioners have died in the hands of police.

Sidney Jones, executive director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch states:

"The charge that Falungong threatens the stability of China does not hold up. Its claim that belief in Falungong is a public health menace is equally bogus. The danger to health comes from the treatment its practitioners receive at the hands of the police and prison officials."