(Minghui.org) Dai Gongyu, a representative from the Falun Dafa Association of Canada, and two witnesses presented a 130-page report at Canadian Parliament on October 25 summarizing the suppression of Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) overseas. With the title of Foreign Interference & Repression of Falun Gong in Canada: Key Development & Case Studies 1999-2023, this report revealed alarming facts on the scope, duration, penetration, and variety of the interference. The report also gave 11 recommendations on how to counter the CCP’s suppression overseas.
Dai Gongyu from the Falun Dafa Association of Canada presented a 130-page report at the Canadian Parliament on October 25, 2023, detailing the interference and transnational persecution by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The CCP’s Interference in Canada
The report from the Falun Dafa Association of Canada enumerated the CCP’s interference and transnational suppression between 1999 and 2023. They include political infiltration, manipulation, intimidation, inciting hatred, falsification of information, assault, harassment, as well as cyber-attacks and monitoring. According to the report, these means were not only employed by the Chinese embassy and consulates, but also by CCP spies and agents overseas. In particular, the United Front Work Department of the CCP played a critical role in this process.
Zhang Tianxiao, a practitioner from Toronto, shared her personal experience in the press conference. Her brother-in-law, Mr. Zou Songtao, earned a Master’s degree from Ocean University of China and died in 2000 due to the CCP’s persecution. Her sister, Ms. Zhang Yunhe, was a graduate of Qingdao University majoring in accounting and she sought justice after her husband’s death. Because of distributing information about the persecution in 2001, Ms. Zhang Yunhe was arrested and has been missing since then.
Zhang Tianxiao, then living in Vancouver, exposed such brutality in a press conference and forums in 2001. Soon afterward she found herself becoming a target of harassment. In 2003, her car, parked outside an apartment, had the windows broken. Several months later, someone poured lots of human waste on her balcony. Zhang said she did not have personal enemies. Plus, she had just moved into the apartment and hardly anyone knew where she lived. Who were these people who harassed her?
In June 2008, Ms. Zhang moved to Toronto, and several months later she began working as a volunteer. As a result, she kept her four-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter at home with an elderly friend.
One day shortly after Zhang left her apartment, a Chinese man came with a gun, ordering the friend to give him the two children. The two kids hid in a closet and the friend did not open the door. The man with the gun later left.
After sending her two children to a local elementary school, Ms. Zhang met some students from mainland China. She thus introduced Falun Gong to their parents and grandparents. After that, she often noticed some Chinese people looking at her from a distance. This made her feel unsafe, as the CCP’s harassment and influence had extended to Canada.
Inciting Hatred and Influencing Elected Officials
“The report documents the alarming extent of CCP disinformation, intimidation, manipulation, and interference targeted at elected officials in Canada, with the aim of preventing them from supporting Falun Gong or criticizing the CCP’s human rights violations in China,” explained Dai. The infiltration of the Canadian political system and organizations by the CCP is alarming, because it weakens the government’s ability to resolve issues and correct this problem.
For many years, the CCP has also sent fake emails in the name of Falun Gong practitioners to Canadian politicians to discredit Falun Gong by humiliating and threatening officials. “ Over the years, the Falun Dafa Association of Canada has received more than a dozen variations of such fake emails forwarded by Canadian elected officials,” wrote the report.
Furthermore, the CCP interfered with the activities of Canadian communities and organizations, as well as cultural events and holiday celebrations. By attempting to sponsor these activities, the CCP demanded that the host exclude Falun Gong practitioners. Such manipulation and harassment has damaged the interest of Canadians and compromised Canadian values. In addition, the CCP-controlled news media and online platforms often spread fake information to stir up hatred that led to indifference, marginalization and discrimination against Falun Gong.
The most dangerous is the CCP’s influence on public opinion and elected officials, which made them more likely to accept defamation against Falun Gong. It is because of such hate propaganda that the CCP has been able to suppress Falun Gong with torture and killing for nearly a quarter of a century.
Dai said that at the beginning of the persecution, the CCP embassy and consulates directly distributed booklets and letters that incited hatred against Falun Gong. Later on, it became more secretive and spies from the United Front Department sent letters to elected officials who supported Falun Gong. Practitioners noticed this and brought it to the courts. The CCP agents then switched to another strategy. In the name of Falun Gong practitioners, they sent letters or emails to elected officials at all levels, especially parliament members, ministers, and governors. These letters were humiliating and threatening, as they served to discredit Falun Gong and undermine their efforts to expose human rights violations in China. Such emails were sent many times and practitioners had received over 10 such emails forwarded by officials. They were of different kinds and various formats.
Such emails were also sent to elected officials in other countries including Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Apparently, this was a coordinated, global initiative. The IP addresses of some emails could be traced back to China, indicating that this is a systematic operation from the CCP to suppress Falun Gong and influence overseas officials.
Furthermore, the CCP provided opportunities for Canadian officials to visit China so that they would no longer support Falun Gong. One example was the City of Port Moody in British Columbia. Between 2002 and 2007, its mayor issued proclamations for Falun Dafa Month every year. Billionaire Li Zhe, a retired Chinese military official, then invited the mayor to visit Beijing in 2007 in the name of a real estate developer. Upon returning, the mayor stopped issuing proclamations for Falun Gong.
People’s Daily also reported in 2011 that inviting Canadian mayors to visit China would change their opinion. For example, one mayor who used to counter the CCP changed positions after such a trip. The United Front Department then decided for Li Zhe and others to invite more mayors to visit Beijing. As a result, about 10 mayors visited China in this way every year and they were from Canada, the United States, France, Italy, and other countries. In fact, Li Zhe was also appointed a position in the Overseas Chinese Federation of the United Front Work Department in Beijing.
News media reported that Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan was treated like an “an emperor” when he visited China. Upon returning, he ordered to disassemble posters and a hut of Falun Gong practitioners outside the Chinese Consulate in Vancouver. To oppose the persecution, Vancouver practitioners started and continued a peaceful protest in front of the consulate in Vancouver 24 hours a day since 2001.
Threat and Intimidation
The report also provided details of such threats and intimidation of Canadians, as well as their family members in China. Launched by the CCP agents, some of these activities were systematic and some seemed random, but they were all targeting the efforts of Falun Gong practitioners.
Jeff Li, a Falun Gong practitioner in Toronto, explained the report in the press conference.
During the press conference, Toronto practitioner Jeff Li provided some examples. When Helen Li went to the peaceful protests at the Chinese Consulate in Toronto, she often had her picture taken. One day at her residence, one man went up to her and said, “Hey, I know your father’s name. You’d better be careful.” Several days later, her father called from China, telling her not to attend the peaceful protest – the police had told him that she would be in danger by doing so.
Jeff Li said many practitioners had such experiences. When practitioners went to tourist sites to do the exercises or expose the persecution in China, they often had their pictures taken. In April 2022, someone came up to the city hall, took down banners from practitioners, and took pictures of them. Several months later, the same person attacked and humiliated Falun Gong practitioners in Chinatown on September 30. The man took a cell phone from a practitioner and attempted to flee. The practitioners followed and retrieved her phone
Li does not have immediate relatives in China. Last year, the wife of his good friend passed away in China due to illness. The friend said to Li, “[Chinese] Police told me that even if you are in Canada, they know everything about you.”
Dai also gave an example. In the past 10 years, a man often came to the Pacific Mall area in Toronto to watch Falun Gong practitioners. Upon being asked why he came here every day, he said he was paid to do so. Moreover, a Chinese woman often harassed practitioners at the Scarborough subway station. One week later, the same woman went to Niagara Falls to harass and attack practitioners there.
Dai concluded these incidents pointed to a coordinated effort from the CCP to harass Falun Gong practitioners.
Abusing Diplomatic Channels
Former Chinese diplomat Chen Yonglin testified in the U.S. Congress that the first priority of Chinese consulates and embassies around the world was to attack Falun Gong systematically. In fact, the CCP had established a special task force within each diplomatic agency to launch activities against Falun Gong in that country.
By extending the persecution against Falun Gong overseas, the CCP not only threatens Falun Gong practitioners, but also undermines the basic values and legal system in Canada. The report then gave 11 recommendations to counter interference and transnational suppression by the CCP.
If these efforts from the CCP continue, more Canadian citizens will be negatively affected. Therefore, it is important for the Canadian government to prioritize initiatives that counter the CCP’s infiltration.
Legislation and Joint Efforts
Michel Juneau Katsuya, a senior intelligence officer, said during an interview that the government is aware of the CCP’s harassment against Falun Gong for many years. For example, mayors in Vancouver, Ottawa, and Toronto were influenced by the CCP and changed rules, making it more difficult for Falun Gong practitioners to expose the brutality of the CCP. He emphasized that Canadians should be protected regardless of their belief.
More specifically, Canada needs legislation that defines overseas interference. Legislation is also needed to report foreign agents, not just lobbyists, but also those influenced by the lobbyists. He said that right now, the intelligence agency only submits reports to the Prime Minister. He recommends the agency also provide updates to the public so that various professions and academia can receive relevant information. It is important for Western society to join together and counter the CCP, he added.
The complete report, Foreign Interference & Repression of Falun Gong in Canada: Key Development & Case Studies 1999-2023, can be accessed throughhttps://library.faluninfo.net/canada-2023-report-foreign-interference-transnational-repression-of-falun-gong/
Copyright © 2023 Minghui.org. All rights reserved.
