July 31, 2004 Saturday Final Edition

Most of us are familiar by now with the disturbing images of the abuse to which the Iraqi prisoners have been subjected by their U.S. captors while being detained.

As the world expresses its indignation over such disgusting displays of cruelty, we remain almost silent and even unperturbed by China's systematic persecution of millions of its own citizens because they wish to practise the meditation system of Falun Gong.

The persecution was launched by dictator Jiang Zemin five years ago this month in a fanatical effort to eradicate the group, and since then countless people have been detained, tortured and murdered. The human rights group Freedom House estimates that as many as 10,000 are dead and/or missing. Catholics who follow Papal authority and others with their own spiritual beliefs are suffering a similar plight.

As our Canadian government develops an ever closer relationship with the most populous nation on earth, do we not trade something of our conscience when remaining silent in the face of such injustice? All forms of terrorism are abhorrent, and while our attention is focussed on Iraq, China's regime remains largely unchallenged over its human rights atrocities.

Terrorism is not exclusive to certain factions. It is time to take a stand against man's inhumanity to man on all fronts, against every despot and dictator. As Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Joan Delaney,

Victoria.