February 12, 2002

A University of Toronto student and an American have been arrested in Beijing for protesting China's persecution of the spiritual movement Falun Gong.

Chinese authorities arrested Falun Gong practitioners Jason Loftus, 22, a U of T engineering student from Barrie, and Levi Browde, 29, a software expert from New York, in Tiananmen Square yesterday.

Their protest came on the eve of the Chinese New Year and one year after five people, claiming to be followers of the group banned by the Chinese Communist Party in 1999, set themselves on fire in the square.

'VERY ANXIOUS'

At a press conference in Toronto yesterday, Falun Gong spokesman Joel Chipkar said Loftus and Browde were in China to show reporters inconsistencies in the videotaped footage of the self-immolation that they say prove the incident was a "hoax" staged by the government.

Chipkar said Loftus and Browde later were arrested in Tiananmen Square after unrolling a banner in support of the Falun Gong that claimed the Chinese people were being lied to by their government.

Mary Loftus, who began practising Falun Gong a few years ago on her son's recommendation, said she has not heard from her son yet and she's "very anxious."

"I'm hoping they just put him on a plane and send him home," she said.

She added she didn't agree with Jason going to China, but she did agree the action needed to be taken.

Chipkar said he has been in contact with foreign affairs and that both the Canadian and U.S. embassies were involved in the case.

RISKY ACTION

Though Chipkar's mother was returned safely to Canada after a similar protest in Tiananmen Square last month, he said this incident was riskier because it directly criticized the government.

"My mother went to the square and sang a song, while they went and accused the government of lying and killing their own people," Chipkar said.

http://www.canoe.ca/TorontoNews/ts.ts-02-12-0034.html