(Clearwisdom.net) Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, who is visiting Beijing, said at a press conference on July 18, 2011 that he publicly raised the issue of human rights with China during his visit, including the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Speaking to reporters in a teleconference from Beijing on Monday, Baird said that he had raised concerns over human rights during his meetings with Chinese authorities, including the plight of Falun Gong.
Baird’s trip coincides with the 12th year of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners across Canada have held peaceful appeals in big cities, requesting that Mr. Baird publicly speak out about the persecution of Falun Gong on his trip to China. They asked Mr. Baird to urge the CCP to immediately stop the persecution, and to release twelve family members of Canadians jailed in China for their belief in Falun Gong.
At noon on July 20, practitioners in Ottawa gathered in front of the Chinese Consulate to protest the CCP's 12 years of persecution. Canadian Falun Dafa Association president Li Xun said in an interview, “During the past twelve years, the world's people have not only witnessed the CCP's bloody and wicked nature in the persecution of Falun Gong, but also witnessed Falun Gong practitioners' peacefulness, kindness, courage, and persistent efforts to end the persecution, and their steadfast belief in the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. The persecution actually accelerates the demise of the CCP.”
Protest in front of the Chinese Consulate in Ottawa
Ottawa resident Mr. Wang Xueliang is from Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province in China. The practice of Falun Gong enabled this young university graduate to learn the meaning of life and hold himself to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Twelve years ago, on July 20, 1999, the CCP launched a persecution campaign against Falun Gong. Mr. Wang went to Beijing to appeal for justice for Falun Gong. He was arrested and detained for eight days. He was then detained for 20 days after returning to his hometown. He was handcuffed and beaten at the hands of the prison guards. After he was released, the police placed him under surveillance and subjected him to brainwashing. “They attempted to force me to give up my belief and didn't allow me to appeal for Falun Gong,” Mr. Wang said.
“After coming to Canada, what shocked me was that the CCP extended the persecution to democratic countries.” Wang recalled that in October 2000, as an overseas Chinese student studying at the University of Ottawa, he was invited to attend a movie party held in the Chinese Embassy. He saw that on one side of the hall there hung many photos attacking Falun Gong. As he was about to take out his camera to photograph the pictures, several embassy staff immediately rushed over to him, seized his camera and took him to a small room where they beat him ferociously and knocked him down to the ground.
Mr. Wang said, “They spread these lies and hate propaganda. What is even beyond my expectation is that they use violence on Canadian soil, persecuting Falun Gong practitioners overseas.”
Mr. Wang has remained steadfast in his belief over the past twelve years. He said, “The persecution has let me see clearly what the CCP truly is. No means of persecution can make us give up. The CCP's repression actually leads to its own collapse.”
Mr. Wang added, “The persecution targets not only Falun Gong practitioners, but also the Chinese people, including those involved in the persecution. I sincerely hope that more Chinese people will no longer side with the CCP, but learn about the truth and lay a foundation for a beautiful future.”
