February 25, 2002

BEIJING, Feb 25 (AFP) - A freed Chinese-Canadian follower of the banned Falungong spiritual group has said he was beaten and pressured to renounce his beliefs while held in a Chinese labor camp, the group said Monday.

Lin Shenli, previously a Canadian permanent resident, spoke out about the mistreatment after returning to Canada, Falungong's New York-based headquarters said.

[...]

The report of Lin's mistreatment comes days after US President George W. Bush's strong calls for religious freedom in China while on a visit to Beijing.

According to Falungong, Lin was arrested with his wife in December 1999 when they came to Beijing to lodge an appeal with the government for the release of other detained followers.

His wife, a Canadian citizen, spent only a few days in jail before being deported.

Lin left China Sunday on a flight to Montreal, according to Jennifer May, a spokeswoman for the Canadian embassy in Beijing.

Falungong's spokesman in New York, Levi Browde, said Lin contacted another follower of the group in Canada after his plane landed in Vancouver for a connecting flight.

"Lin Shenli says that during his imprisonment in the labor camp, he was beaten, forced to do hard labor, and was subject to various brainwashing activities," Browde said.

"He was allowed no communication with his wife or family, while other prisoners were allowed to communicate with their families."

Canadian parliament members had previously demanded Lin's release and Amnesty International identified him as a victim of torture, said Browde.

"There has been quite a bit of lobbying on his behalf," May added.

May said Lin was not deported because he is not a foreign citizen, and made his own arrangements to leave.

Canadian embassy officials issued Lin a new permit to re-enter Canada because he had been out of the country for more than six months while detained and thus lost his residency rights, May said.

[...]

However May said the detention was extended because Lin refused to repent.

[...]

China banned the Buddhist-based Falungong as [Jiang regime's slanderous term omitted] in July 1999 and has since sent hundreds of Chinese Falungong members to prison and tens of thousands to labor camps.

http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/be/Qchina-sect-canada.RmGy_CFP.html