(Minghui.org) Garnett Genuis, Member of Parliament and chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong in Canada spoke in the House of Commons on November 19, 2024, about three cases involving Canadians and their relatives in China who are persecuted for practicing Falun Gong.
“Sun Qian, a Canadian citizen from Vancouver, was sentenced to eight years in prison simply for being a Falun Gong practitioner. Xie Mingguang, the father of a permanent resident from Regina, was also imprisoned and subjected to torture for the same reason. He Lizhong, the brother of a Canadian citizen from Mississauga, was illegally arrested for practicing Falun Gong. These cases, along with others involving Canadian citizens or those closely connected to Canada facing persecution in China for their beliefs, deserve our attention,” MP Garnett Genuis said.
Falun Gong practitioners gathered at Parliament Hill in Ottawa to call for an end to the persecution. Dai Gongyu, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association of Canada, said, “Falun Gong practitioners urge the Canadian government to take a strong stance and pressure the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to end the persecution and release all unlawfully detained Falun Gong practitioners unconditionally.” She also called for measures to stop the CCP from extending its persecution to practitioners in Canada. Her suggestions included expelling related CCP diplomats, prosecuting CCP agents, and taking legal action against those who harass Falun Gong practitioners in Canada.
MP Garnett Genuis (fifth from left) called for the release of Canadians and their relatives who have been unlawfully detained for practicing Falun Gong on November 19.
Canadian MP Repeatedly Reads Petitions Calling for an End to the Persecution
MP Garnett Genuis said, “My colleagues and I are highlighting these specific cases and calling for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Petitioners hope to see the House take strong, clear action to explicitly demand an end to this persecution.”
MP Garnett Genuis has presented related petitions for the sixth time since October. Over ten other MPs have also submitted petitions, urging the Canadian government to pass resolutions and take measures to stop the systematic persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the CCP and to release the unlawfully detained relatives of Canadian citizens and residents.
While presenting a petition in the House of Commons on October 10, MP Genuis stated, “Petitioners note that Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual practice based on Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They point out that since the summer of 1999, the CCP has launched an intensive campaign to eradicate Falun Gong. This persecution includes forced labor, brainwashing centers, imprisonment, torture, and has led to the deaths of tens of thousands. The petition also highlights the CCP’s crime of forcibly harvesting organs from Falun Gong practitioners for profit. Petitioners urge the House to pass legislation opposing this persecution during the current parliamentary session.”
He added, “Petitioners call on the government to take further steps, including passing resolutions and creating measures to prevent the CCP’s planned atrocities against Falun Gong practitioners and publicly demanding an end to this persecution.”
The Canadian Parliament unanimously passed Bill S-223, the Act to Combat Trafficking in Human Organs, with 324 votes on December 14, 2022. The bill is widely regarded as a key legal framework for combating organ harvesting crimes in Canada. MP Genuis emphasized that this legislation helps reduce the demand for organs transactions and continues to push for the CCP to stop persecuting Falun Gong practitioners through forced organ harvesting and other means.
The Power of Justice Deters Evil and Eases Persecution
MP Scott Reid introduced a motion in the Canadian Parliament on October 24, 2002 to support Falun Gong. The motion, which passed with unanimous support, urged Canada’s Prime Minister to advocate for the release of 13 relatives of Canadian residents—Falun Gong practitioners who were unlawfully detained in China—during the Asia-Pacific Summit in Mexico.
He Lizhi, a civil engineer from Mississauga, received China’s National Award for Outstanding Engineering Design and other prestigious honors. He and his wife, Zhang Li, began practicing Falun Gong in 1995. He was arrested twice for mailing truth clarifying materials about Falun Gong to his friends. On July 21, 2000, he was arrested by the State Security Bureau and illegally detained in Tianjin’s Qianjin Prison until the day before Chinese New Year in 2004.
Following his release, the Canadian government expedited He’s immigration application. It was approved the next day. In May 2004, He Lizhi reunited with his wife in Toronto. He attributes this swift approval to the tireless rescue efforts, signature campaigns, and advocacy by Falun Gong practitioners in Canada, as well as the support from Canadian MPs and the government.
He Lizhi said, “The voices of justice from Canadians and MPs provided immense support and encouragement to victims in China while deterring the perpetrators. Those involved in the persecution became more cautious, aware of the international repercussions, which also served as a warning to them to reconsider their actions.”
Protecting Falun Gong Practitioners Upholds Universal Values
Speaking about his brother’s plight, He Lizhi said, “The persecution of Falun Gong by the CCP has lasted 25 years and continues to this day, reaching every corner of China, including our remote hometown, located between two deserts. A simple and honest farmer was sentenced to seven years in prison for practicing Falun Gong—a shocking and infuriating example of the persecution’s severity.
“The CCP spares no effort in targeting the kindest and most vulnerable people, employing brutal tactics. They fear the power of Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. By standing up to protect Falun Gong practitioners, Canadians—citizens, the government, and MPs—are also defending humanity’s noble beliefs and universal values,” He Lizhi said.
He expressed hope that Canada will enact legislation similar to the U.S. Falun Gong Protection Act and to take action against those CCP officials directly involved in the persecution, including members of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee and the 610 Office. He suggested barring these individuals from entering Canada and freezing their overseas assets.
MP Garnett Genuis echoed this sentiment, “We hope that one day, the people of China will have the freedom to choose their own government. Whether we are Falun Gong practitioners, Christians, Buddhists, or anyone else, we should all be able to exercise the God-given rights of freedom and autonomy.”
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