It drizzled continuously in Vancouver on March 27, 2002. To expose the Jiang regime's brutal treatment of Changchun Dafa practitioners during recent weeks and to call on all kind-hearted people and governments to intervene and stop the persecution, Vancouver Dafa practitioners held a 36-hour hunger strike without food or water in front of the art museum in downtown Vancouver beginning at 8:00 AM. They held a press conference at 1:00 PM. Representatives of several NGOs attended the press conference.
Mr. Jim Sinclair, President of BC Federation of Labor (CLC) delivers a speech | Ms. Sadie Kuehn, President of Pacific Anti-Racism Institute | Ms. Jane Staschuk, Director of Community & Social Action |
Mr. Jim Sinclair, President of the BC Federation of Labour (CLC), Ms. Jane Staschuk, Director of Community & Social Action, Mr. Gordie Larkin, Canadian Labour Congress Representative, Ms. Sadie Kuehn, President of Pacific Anti-Racism Institute, and Ms. Sharryn Modder, representative of Mr. Fred Muzin, President of the Hospital Employee's Union attended the press conference. Mr. Sinclair, Ms. Kuehn, and Ms. Modder made speeches at the conference.
Representing 430,000 members of the Canadian Labor Congress, Mr. Sinclair first expressed appreciation to all the Dafa practitioners participating in the hunger strike for upholding principles. In addition, he was asked by Mr. Kenneth Georgetti, President of the Canadian National Labor Union to represent 2.3 million members and urge the Canadian Government to put forward a solemn protest to the Jiang regime's brutal persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners.
Ms. Kuehn said that she came with grief over the persecution and killing of Falun Dafa practitioners in China and represented non-government organizations intentions to put forth a solemn protest.
Ms. Modder represented 46,000 members of the Hospital Employee's Union. She urged the Canadian Government to request the Chinese Government to respect the International Human Rights Pact and Falun Gong practitioners' human rights and immediately stop the persecution against Falun Dafa practitioners.