Times Journal (St. Thomas, Ontario): Falun Gong Brings Protest Here

September 8, 2006 Friday

Falun Gong practitioners brought stunning accusations against the Chinese government to the steps of St. Thomas city hall Thursday.

A group of believers is touring southwestern Ontario to expose their charge that China's Communist government is harvesting and selling organs from jailed Falun Gong followers.

It's a "new form of evil on the planet," says believer Pixing Zhang, who notes the tour is a call for help from all Canadians.

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But MP David Kilgour, former Secretary of State for Asia Pacific, and rights activist David Matas have published a report they say confirms the Falun Gong claims. The report is available online at www.organharvestinvestigation.net.

"We believe that there has been and continues to be large-scale organ seizures from unwilling Falun Gong practitioners," the report says. "Each piece of evidence we have considered is, in itself, verifiable and in most cases, incontestable. Put together, they have painted a whole damning picture."

"It's so horrific," Clement Sun, 32, a four-year Falun Gong follower who got Canadian citizenship this summer, told Sun Media at a stop earlier this week. "They not only want to kill you, they want to take your organs, they want to steal your life."

Sun describes Falun Gong as a "spiritual teaching" typified by a handful of meditation exercises.

First popularized in 1992, Falun Gong attracted 70 million followers in China within seven years.

It was banned in 1999 in a move Sun and his colleagues say was prompted by Communist party fears of losing power to the growing movement.

The core beliefs of Falun Gong are truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.