40 Canadian Lawmakers Urge Prime Minister To Champion Human Rights of Falun Gong Ahead of Anniversary
OTTAWA— Today, in a joint letter, 40 parliamentarians urge Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly to include Falun Gong in Canada’s foreign policy and call for an end to the spiritual group’s persecution in China. The letter was sent before July 20th, the day marking 23 year of the violent campaign to eradicate Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The letter was initiated by Liberal MP Judy Sgro and Conservative MP Garnett Genuis, two co-chairs of the Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong. It was signed by parliamentarians from both side of the House.
The letter states, ”We, the undersigned parliamentarians, urge the government to include Falun Gong explicitly in Global Affairs Canada’s China Policy Framework (while other persecuted groups are mentioned), condemn the CCP’s continued attack on this peaceful faith, and call for an end to the persecution in China.
It has been brought to our attention that the evidence is overwhelming, corroborated, and voluminous proving that the persecution of Falun Gong remains the largest and most violent campaign targeting Chinese people, not just regionally, but nationally in mainland China today.
For 23 years, the CCP has carried out massive arbitrary arrests, torture, killing, and large-scale forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience across China, destroying the lives of tens of millions of innocent people and their families.
It includes a devastating propaganda campaign to demonize Falun Gong with hatred and bigotry inside China as well as within the international community.”
The letter also provided evidence by third party reports from United Nations special rapporteurs, Freedom House, Amnesty International, The US House of Representatives and scholars that crimes against humanity and genocide is occurring.
The lawmakers note that: “Sadly, there has never been such a disparity between a humanitarian crisis and silence from the international community as that observed in the persecution of Falun Gong over the past two decades. It is time we speak out for them.”
Signed by:
Ziad Aboultaif, M.P., Mel Arnold, M.P., Yvan Baker, M.P., Bob Benzen, M.P., James Bezan, M.P., Colin Carrie, M.P., Michael Cooper M.P., Marc Dalton, M.P., Raquel Dancho, M.P.,Ted Falk, M.P., Garnett Genuis, M.P., Angelo Iacono, M.P., Tom Kmiec, M.P., Robert Kitchen, M.P., Damien Kurek, M.P., Stephanie Kusie M.P., Mike Lake, M.P., Melissa Lantsman, M.P., Ron Liepert, M.P., Elizabeth May, M.P., Larry Maguire, M.P., John McKay, M.P., Richard Martel, M.P., Kelly McCauley, M.P., Dan Muys, M.P., Rick Perkins M.P., Anna Roberts, M.P., Scott Reid, M.P., Kyle Seeback, M.P., Judy Sgro, M.P., Warren Steinley, M.P., Shannon Stubbs, M.P., Rachael Thomas, M.P., Ryan Turnbull, M.P., Arnold Viersen, M.P., Brad Vis, M.P., Cathay Wagantall, M.P., Michael L. MacDonald, Senator, Kim Pate, Senator, Don Plett, Senator