Community Leader Writes to Canadian Prime Minister to Help Rescue Imprisoned Falun Gong Family Members

Sept. 13, 2002

The Right Hon. Jean Chretien
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington St, Ottawa, On K1A 0A2
e-mail: [e-mail]

Dear Mr. Prime Minister:

It has been brought to my attention that some Canadian residents here in Toronto have family members who are currently imprisoned and tortured in forced labor camps or "disappeared" in China for maintaining their belief. These Canadian Falun Gong practitioners need urgent intervention from our government before it is too late to save their lives.

These Canadian Falun Gong practitioners are innocent, the only reason they are imprisoned is that they believe in the principle of "Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance". The world will be much more peaceful if everyone follows these great universal principles. These good-hearted Canadian residents and /or citizens have done no wrong in China. The Chinese government has no legal right to arrest them for what they believe in let alone punish them.

Our government was the first to speak up against the wrongful imprisonment and has succeeded in rescuing several Faun Gong practitioners from Chinese prison in the last two years. It is important that we continue sending a clear message to stop the persecution that is going into its fourth year. It will be appropriate that such a message be clearly and publicly articulated during the APEC meeting in October when you meet face to face with Mr. Jiang Zemin, President of China.

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Yours sincerely,

Donald Y. Chen, BA. CMA
Youth Development Council-1997
The Liberal Party of Canada