Updated June 20, 2001
[Editor's note: This campaign was very successful in the case Ying Zhu -- she
was released and returned to Canada at 1am, June 21st]
- The Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University, Mr. Frederick H.
Lowy, sent a letter to Mr. Mei Ping, the Chinese Ambassador to Canada on May
31, to demand the release of Ying and express that he is "greatly
disturbed" by her detention.
- Concordia University Student Union (CSU) has unanimously voted in favour of
participating in the campaign to free Ying Zhu and has called on other members
of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) to join the campaign and to take
action. (Contact: Genevieve Page 514-848-7474)
- A coalition of MPs from all five major political parties has been actively
working on obtaining the immediate release of Ying and Shengli. (Contacts: Mr.
Irwin Cotler 613-995-0121, Mr. Scott Reid 613-947-2277, Ms. Francine Lalonde
613-995-6327, Ms. LibbyDavies 613-992-6030, Mr. Bill Casey 613-992-3366)
- Amnesty International has repeatedly made public statements condemning the
brutal persecution of Falun Gong and has called on the Canadian government to
do more to assist Ying and Shengli to regain freedom and to help bring an end
to the repressive crackdown against Falun Gong in China. Amnesty International
of Canada launched a letter writing campaign four months ago to free Shengli
Lin.
- More than 10 NGOs have cosigned a letter to Mei Ping, the Chinese Ambassador
in Ottawa, urging the release of Ying Zhu and Shengli Lin. More NGOs are
joining the campaign on a daily basis.
- Falun Gong practitioners in Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver continue to
demonstrate in front of the Chinese Embassy and Chinese Consulates every
working day until Ying and Shengli are released.
- Canada's Foreign Affairs office has responded that "She [Ying] has
close ties to Canada and we will do whatever we can, on behalf of her family
in Canada."
- A Web Page dedicated to the campaign to Free Ying and Shengli has been set
up: http://falundafa.ca/appeal
- The people of Canada have shown tremendous support to Falun Gong. In the
past year, some 80,000 people in Canada have signed petitions calling for an
end to the persecution and the immediate release of all Falun Gong
practitioners in China.