News Release For Immediate Release: January 18, 2002

OTTAWA, January 18, 2002 -- At the City of Ottawa Transportation and Transit Committee (TTC) meeting on January 16, a motion allowing a by-law exemption for Falun Gong practitioners was passed unanimously, allowing practitioners to hang large-sized banners on the fence across the street from the Chinese Embassy.

"Since last May, Falun Gong practitioners have been holding daily vigils in front of the Chinese Embassy calling for an end to the persecution in China," said Grace Wollensak. "However, irritated by this exposure of the brutality under the Chinese regime, the Chinese Embassy has been putting tremendous pressure on the city of Ottawa to curb the practitioners' vigil activities."

Albert Tang, claiming to represent the "Federation of Ottawa-Carleton Chinese Community," requested at the meeting that the demonstrators be removed from the site because they embarrassed visitors to the embassy by handing out flyers to them.

However, the councillors saw the issue differently. "I personally pass the spot of the demonstration very frequently. The situation I always see has been one of good order all the time. I think the group is the model of that good order," said Councillor Jacques Legendre.

"The notion that we should try to prevent a group from expressing themselves because they are irritating a foreign government is really not something that we can contemplate or that we can support," said Councillor Alex Munter.

The TTC councillors expressed the common sentiment that this issue is about freedom of expression, a principle which must be upheld in Canada. The exemption was passed unanimously at the committee meeting.

However, the debate continued outside. Councillor Munter responded to Tang's challenge, "For you sir, to come to a city committee and tell us to limit Falun Gong practitioners' freedom of expression and tell us to remove those people, that is wrong, that is un-Canadian and that is a violation of the principle of freedom of expression!"

Lucy Zhou, a Falun Gong practitioner, said, "It is a well-known fact within the Chinese community that there are a few individuals who are acting under the name of the 'Federation of Ottawa-Carleton Chinese Community' to give voice to the Chinese Embassy here in Canada. They have been widely sending out defamatory materials attacking Falun Gong and writing to officials at all levels of Canadian government urging them to stop supporting Falun Gong."

"We are very happy and proud that our elected officials have chosen to uphold true Canadian values and preserve the rights that Falun Gong practitioners are being denied in China," said Zhou.

For related stories, see:

http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2002/1/16/17805.html

http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2002/1/18/17899.html

Category: Falun Dafa in the Media