(Clearwisdom.net) On November 15, 2006, Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister of Canada, said his government will not abandon "important Canadian values" by toning down criticisms of China's human rights record to improve trade relations with Beijing. On November 19, several human rights organizations and other groups, including Falun Gong, assembled in Chinatown, Toronto to support PM Harper's comments.

Mr. Michael Craig, from Amnesty International, speaks at the rally

Mr. John Zhang, representative of the Falun Gong Association in Canada

According to CTV in Canada, PM Harper made the comments while talking to reporters en route to the Vietnamese capital: "I think Canadians want us to promote our trade relations worldwide, and we do that, but I don't think Canadians want us to sell out important Canadian values -- our belief in democracy, freedom, human rights."

Mr. John Zhang, a representative from the Falun Gong Association in Canada, addressed the rally and said: "The persecution against Falun Gong has been lasting for 7 years. The Chinese Communist Party tortures and kills many Falun Gong practitioners, meanwhile it ruins the traditional Chinese culture and the moral standard of Chinese people. The brutality of the persecution has reached to the degree that the CCP harvests organs from living Falun Gong practitioners for profit. Two independent Canadian investigators have verified that the organ harvesting exists in China and is still going on."

He continued: "To keep the persecution, the Chinese government has been trying to use the big market as the tool to make some governments and organizations keep silent. We support PM Harper's value, and hope that Canadian government will keep the moral standard in the trade relations with China, which fits the benefit of both Canadian and Chinese people."

On behalf of Tibetan people in Canada, Mrs. Tsering Morzom, the representative from Tibetan Women Association, thanked PM Harper for bringing up human rights at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation conference. Mrs. Tsering said that the Tibetan people in China have no freedom of speech and are also being persecuted. Mrs. Tsering called upon oversea Tibetan and Chinese people to pay attention to those who are being persecuted by the CCP and keep exposing those truths.

Mr. Michael Craig from Amnesty commented on PM Harper's words: "Canadian people think the Canadian values are very important. So, PM Harper is supported by most Canadian people."

Mrs. Sheng Xue, the vice president of the Federation for a Democratic China (FDC) Canadian Division, said there are 30 million Chinese people living out of China. They come overseas for a better life with more freedom. Mrs. Sheng said: "If you are an independent and honest person, then you must have agreed in the basic Canadian values when you came here." "We must thank PM Harper for fighting for human rights for Chinese people."

Mr. Jinan Liu, representative from the Service Center for Quitting the CCP in Toronto, said: "PM Harper's words manifest the courage and values that the Canadian government and people have. The international society's condemn of the CCP will encourage more Chinese people to quit the party."