October 24, 2001

Bill Guan drove into Okotoks last Wednesday in a camper van with two women walking ahead of him carrying placards.

The signs demanded a stop to the persecution of Chinese people practicing Falun Dafa in China.

The walkers, Lee and Zhong, are walking from Calgary to Thunder Bay, Ontario to raise awareness for atrocities occurring in China including the persecution of Chinese people for practicing Falun Dafa.

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"Some are tortured, arrested, detained in mental hospitals, some are sent to labor camps and some are killed," said Bill Guan who is following the walkers with a support vehicle and food. The walk is scheduled to take three months.

The Calgary-Thunder Bay walkers are part of SOS! Global Rescue Walk, a 4,500-kilometre trek across five provinces, which is a part of the larger SOS! Urgent Rescue Walk that leaves Toronto for Ottawa and on to the United Nations.

SOS! Global Rescue Walk is also taking place in the US, Europe, Australia and Asia.

Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong, a popular term) is the ancient practice of cultivating one's mind and body. It teaches people to obtain genuine physical and mental well being by adhering to the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. Well-being is also attained through a set of five peaceful and gentle exercises.

Li Hongzhi made the Falun Dafa practice public in 1992. He teaches that a person should always display compassion and kindness towards others and think of others first.

"There is no freedom of belief in China (with the [party's name omitted] government)," Guan explained.

"They do not allow Chinese people to have their own mind."

The practice of Falun Dafa, that is free from religious and political motivation, grew to include approximately 100 million people by 1999, 70 million of those in China.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin ordered a countrywide persecution on Falun Dafa practitioners when the number of Falun Dafa followers surpassed the number of [the party] members.

Since July 1999 tens of thousands of men, women and children who practice Falun Dafa in China have been beaten, detained, tortured and killed by those following the Chinese president's orders.

"The ([Jiang Zemin] government) is afraid of losing control (of the Chinese people)," explained Guan.

The [Jiang Zemin] government detained Guan two years ago when he returned to China for a visit. He was released after being held for one week in persecution. Being a permanent resident of Canada, Guan was released. He was one of the lucky ones. Many Chinese people are killed and their deaths are covered up, according to Guan.

"(The government) burns the people on Tiananmen Square and say it's a suicide," he said.

Canadians can help the SOS! Global Rescue Walk by writing to an MLA, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs or to the Prime Minister asking for a stop to the persecution. People can also write the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa at: Ambassador Ping Mei, China's Embassy in Ottawa, 515 St. Patrick Street, Ottawa, ON, K1N 5H3.

Canadians are also invited to sign petitions and spread the word to friends about what is happening in China, said Guan.

More information is available on the www.falundafa.ca website.

"If we want a peaceful and wonderful environment we should not let this happen," said Guan.

In China, as of Sept. 20, 2001, according to Falun Dafa statistics

• at least 283 innocent practitioners are dead due to police brutality;
• over 1,000 are abused in mental hospitals;
• 20,000 are jailed without trial;
• over 100,000 are detained and beaten;
• millions are taken from their families, homes, jobs and schools.

http://www.westernwheel.com/011024/news-falun-dafa.html