Epoch Times Staff
April 10, 2007

Zhang Jiyan, the wife of a former diplomat from the Chinese Embassy in Canada, at the "Support 20 Million People Quitting the CCP" rally held in front of the Ottawa Congress. (Wang Yi/ The Epoch Times)

Zhang Jiyan, the wife of a diplomat at the Chinese Embassy in Canada, told the Epoch Times that she has proof that Chinese Embassy deputy chief Huang Huikang is one of the main ringleaders controlling the persecution of Falun Gong in Canada. Zhang also talked about the depressing situation of her life in the embassy due to constant surveillance and her reasons for making her escape.

Zhang revealed that, inside the Ottawa Embassy, there is a "political office" containing about 10 members specializing in dealing with any overseas democratic movements, but says their main task is to smash the activities of Falun Gong.

"I have proof that Huang is directly involved in persecuting Falun Gong in Canada," says Zhang. "He lies to the Western media."

According to a Globe and Mail report, Huang vehemently denied the existence of a "political office" inside the Embassy. Zhang told an Epoch Times reporter that there is a 10-person squad led previously by Political Affairs Counsellor Sun Lushan and then Counsellor Chen Wangxia, and now Minister-Counsellor Zhang Weidong.

The suppression of Falun Gong has continued to increase according to the directives of Luo Gan (security member of the Politburo) who has ordered that Falun Gong be treated as a "hostile force" and that Falun Gong activities be smashed overseas. In the Embassy, Huang is second-in-charge of carrying out Luo's orders. She specializes in orchestrating the overseas Chinese community in Canada to isolate and suppress Falun Gong.

China Is Not the Same as the Communist Party

Zhang, who attended the "Support 20 Million People Quit the CCP" rally on Canada's Parliament Hill on March 30, said, "My announcement was to quit the CCP, not to abandon my Chinese citizenship. I love my homeland fervently. Once the persecution of Falun Gong stops, I will return to China immediately."

Some Chinese media have accused Zhang of giving up her Chinese citizenship. Zhang replied that some Western media, as well as many Chinese people, are unable to separate the communist party from China. They are unable to recognize that the un-elected communist regime does not represent the Chinese people.

From Support to Persecution

Zhang also narrated how she started to practice Falun Gong. In 1995, the Chinese Embassy in France invited Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi to give a speech. Zhang, who is married to a Chinese diplomat then stationed in France, had the chance to listen to Mr. Li's speech. According to Zhang, almost all Embassy staff and family members attended the speech. Zhang started cultivating Falun Gong at that time.

In March 2003 Zhang and her husband moved to Ottawa. On July 1 of that year, she saw Falun Gong's participation in the national holiday celebration on Capital Hill and she has had contact with them ever since.

The Epoch Times interviewed Ottawa Falun Gong practitioner Diane Shi. She also confirmed that she came to know Zhang as a Falun Gong practitioner during an activity on Capital Hill in 2003 and that they had been in touch ever since.

Zhang sometimes brought The Epoch Times daily paper to the Embassy and tried to expose the illegal persecution as a non-Falun Gong practitioner. She said, "Most people in the Embassy are nice people, they would just listen, but dared not speak. They are very careful because they are not free, they are constrained and watched all the time."

When a husband and wife wish to talk about something at home, they must turn on the range hood fan, or turn up the TV volume (to avoid being monitored through taps). "This kind of life is very depressing," she says.

Due to Zhang's adherence to Falun Gong, the Embassy started to monitor her and increased the spying on her husband before his diplomatic visa expired in April 2007. "They followed me whenever I was out and checked what I carried in my car," says Zhang.

During an outing in February 2007 when Zhang and her husband came back from the market, they found two people from the Embassy's political office following them.

"They examined my telephone list, looked at who I contacted, and checked who they were. My letters started to be opened and lost, including bank bills."

The Embassy wanted Zhang to hand in her passport, and because she felt extremely pressured she finally decided on March 5 to leave the Chinese Embassy.

Zhang said, "I know if I return to China, I will be put in a prison or brainwashing class, and I will be unable to be with my husband. The CCP's persecution of Falun Gong destroys families. "In order to protect my husband, I decided to leave first."

Zhang cited news of live organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners in China as a strong compelling factor supporting her defection. "I have to think about my own safety," she says.

Zhang and her husband married in Beijing in 1986, and had a happy marriage. The communist regime's persecution of Falun Gong in China forced her to make the decision to separate from her husband. Zhang indicated that when the persecution of Falun Gong in China ends she will return to China immediately to be with her husband.

At the end of the interview, Zhang asked the Epoch Times to convey a message to all CCP staff in overseas organizations: "They should treasure their opportunity to see, listen to, and know more about the real facts and the truth about Falun Gong; recognize the evil nature of the CCP and free themselves from its deception, and most importantly, they should quit the 'evil organization' as soon as possible to redeem themselves."

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-4-10/53936.html