Ottawa Falun Gong Practitioners' Participation in Annual Tulip Festival Flotilla Approved After Initially being Rejected due to Chinese Embassy's Influence (Part II)

The Ottawa Citizen: Tulip Fest to let Falun Dafa float its boat in flotilla

May 4, 2002 Saturday

The Ottawa Tulip Festival is going to let the Falun Dafa Association of Canada float its boat in the annual tulip flotilla after all.

"This is a change in the decision that was taken by the flotilla committee, and one that's endorsed by the committee and the tulip festival board of directors," said Doug Little, the festival's spokesman. Organizers had refused to let the spiritual group into the flotilla this year, officially on the grounds that in last year's floating parade on the Rideau Canal, Falun Dafa members littered the shoreline with leaflets and drove their boat recklessly.

In a letter to the group yesterday, however, the festival agreed to let the group in on three conditions: that their boat captain be "skilled," that they not distribute any literature, and that the boat reflects the "tulipmania" theme of the flotilla.

"These are the conditions that any group that wants to participate has to agree to, and we have no problem with them," said Shawn Li, president of the Falun Dafa association.

The group does, however, have to agree to the terms in writing. Mr. Li said he'd have done so earlier if the festival had given him the chance.

Members of the association said they were worried the festival had been pressured by the Chinese Embassy. China has banned the group and persecuted its members. The mission did buy a fancy $750 tulip as a sponsorship gesture, but festival organizers flatly denied the allegation that that bought the embassy any influence.

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Ottawa Citizen: Flotilla issue clarified

May 7, 2002 Tuesday BY: Cindy Chan

Re: Tulip Fest to let Falun Dafa float its boat in flotilla, May 4.

As a Falun Dafa practitioner, I was very happy to learn that the Tulip Festival has approved our participation in the flotilla, not only because it is such an excellent and well-loved event, but also because the festival stands for international friendship and peace, values which are also reflected in the Falun Dafa teachings of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. I would like to clarify two points in your reports about the reasons why the festival's organizers initially refused our application.

First, the concern about the driving of the boat. It is true that last year's captain was inexperienced, but it is not correct to say that recklessness was involved. Safety and responsibility are priorities for Falun Dafa practitioners as well. This year, we will have an experienced captain driving the boat. Having this issue raised helped us look to ourselves to correct shortcomings and make improvements in the future.

Second, I was surprised to hear that littering was an issue, as practitioners are very conscientious about picking up flyers on the ground. As well, some practitioners walked along the flotilla route and stayed later to check for flyers left behind. None reported seeing any littering of our materials.

Cindy Chan,