(Clearwisdom.net) On September 15, 2005, one day before the arrival of Hu Jintao, Vancouver practitioners held a press conference in front of the Chinese Consulate. Vancouver residents Ms. Tianxiao Zhang and Ms. Chunyu Zhang hoped that during the meeting with Hu, British Columbia's Premier Gordon Campbell and Canada Prime Minister Martin will ask Hu Jintao to release their relatives that are being unlawfully imprisoned in China.

Practitioner Sofia said that practitioners handed over an open letter to Premier Campbell and asked him to give it to Hu Jintao on September 16. She said that Premier Campbell should ask Hu to release eight practitioners who are illegally imprisoned in China for persisting in practicing Falun Gong and have family connections with British Columbia. The letter asked Hu Jintao to free their relatives and all practitioners, and to bring to justice Jiang Zemin, Luo Gan, Liu Jing and Zhou Yongkang. The letter reminded Hu that "the time Heaven and the people are giving him is limited" and hoped that he would immediately stop the persecution of Falun Gong.

Ms. Tianxiao Zhang called on Prime Minister Martin and Premier Campbell to rescue her sister. Her brother-in-law was tortured to death in a Chinese Communist Party's forced labor camp. Her mother passed away while facing the tragedy. Her sister was arrested in February 2002, and no further information about her whereabouts is known. Ms. Chunyu Zhang hoped that the meeting would help her mother and sister leave the notorious Masanjia Forced Labor Camp.

Falun Gong spokesperson Li Ying said that they would appeal during Hu Jintao's visit to Vancouver to help him see the wide spread of Falun Gong overseas and hear the practitioners' voice. The practitioners hoped that Hu Jintao would stop Jiang Zemin's policy and end the persecution.

More than a dozen English and Chinese media covered the event.

Chinese version available at