Press Conference in Calgary, Canada, “Arrested for Peaceful Meditation? This Is Ridiculous!”

(Minghui.org) Local resident Ms. Huang Jinling held a press conference in Calgary calling for the release of her daughter, Ms. Chen Yinghua, and a relative, Ms. Bian Xiaohui, who were both arrested and detained in China for practicing Falun Gong. The press conference was held in front of the Chinese Consulate in Calgary on August 19, 2014.

Ms. Huang said her daughter and niece were arrested in March 2014.

“In the past five months, my daughter went on hunger strike three times to protest her mistreatment. Guards force-fed her and hung her up to torture her.” She said Chen Yinghua was forced to take blood samples and a DNA test upon admission into the detention center. “As a result of the torture, she is emaciated and is in a life-threatening condition.”

Calgary resident Ms. Huang Jinling, calls for the release of her daughter and a relative, both detained for practicing Falun Gong in China

This arrest—the third for daughter Chen Yinghua—occurred as she accompanied her cousin Bian Xiaohui to the Shijiazhuang Prison to visit Ms. Bian’s father, also detained because of practicing Falun Gong.

After their request to visit the father was denied, Bian held up a banner reading “I Want to See My Father” in front of the prison. Guards assaulted and arrested her. Chen Yinghua was photographing the arrest as it unfolded, so they also arrested her. Police later went to Bian’s home and arrested her ill mother, Zhou Xiuzhen.

Ms. Huang has held several press conferences about this in Calgary. Two Members of Parliament, James Lunney and Joan Crockatt, have contacted Chinese consular officials since then, urging them to take action to release Ms. Chen.

However, the three practitioners remain behind bars and face a trial in late August. “Many officials involved in the persecution of Falun Gong have recently fallen from power,” Ms. Huang said, “I hope more officials can learn from this and stop doing bad deeds.”

Jeff Yang, contact person for the Calgary Falun Dafa Association, agreed with Ms. Huang, “This 15-year-long persecution has brought too much damage to Chinese society, both morally and economically. Now it is time for all of us to uphold justice and end the brutality.”

Practitioner Jeff Yang speaks at press conference, urging more people to pay attention to this human rights violation

Through posters and banners, many pedestrians learned what has happened in China, including organ harvesting from living practitioners. Many are sympathetic for what practitioners have endured. “I cannot understand why this would happen,” one lady said, “Arrested for peaceful meditation? This is ridiculous!”