Ottawa, Canada: Practitioners Reflect on What Falun Gong Means to Them 25 Years after Peaceful Appeal

(Minghui.org) “About 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners went to the State Council Appeals Office in Beijing on April 25, 1999, requesting the release of illegally detained practitioners. After this was reported by CBC Television, I looked into it and decided to practice Falun Gong,” recalled Pu Huailin, former Vice Chairperson of the Chinese Association of Ottawa.

Within three months, Ms. Pu recovered from lupus. By doing the Falun Gong exercises and following the practice’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, she’s been healthy and happy. That’s why Ms. Pu and other practitioners in Ottawa participated in a rally in front of the Chinese Embassy on April 23, urging an end to the 25-year-long persecution in China. 

Falun Gong practitioners do the exercises on April 23, 2024 in front of the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa.

Coming from Taiwan, Ms. Pu said that from her experience, she knew one couldn’t believe the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) slanderous propaganda. “Over the years we’ve been telling people what Falun Gong is and how the CCP suppresses the practice,” she explained. 

Staying Truthful 

Doctor Zhi Jing began to practice Falun Gong in October 1998 when she was in Europe. She was on a trip to the United States for an academic conference when the peaceful appeal took place on April 25, 1999. That day, she recommended Falun Gong to coworkers, and it was well received. 

Some coworkers who listened to the CCP’s propaganda said that Falun Gong practitioners “besieged” Zhongnanhai [the central government compound where the peaceful appeal took place]. Ms. Zhi’s response, “All of us practitioners strive to be better citizens by reading Zhuan Falun, the main teachings of Falun Gong. We are considerate of others and would not do anything that hurts others or harms society.”

When coworkers asked why practitioners went to the Appeals Office, Ms. Zhi explained that the State Council Appeals Office was established for ordinary citizens to voice their concerns, which was exactly what practitioners did. Because practitioners were illegally detained in Tianjin, officials in Tianjin told practitioners they had to go to Beijing to resolve the issue. So, the practitioners went there. 

Then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin launched a nationwide persecution three months later in July 1999. As practitioners continued to tell people about the persecution, many people recognized the brutality of the CCP.

Artist: Clarifying Misunderstandings

Artist Kathy Gillis from Ottawa

“The peaceful appeal in Beijing on April 25, 1999 was understandable, reasonable, and justifiable,” said Kathy Gillis, an artist who lives in Ottawa. In contrast, she said that the suppression by the CCP over these past 25 years is disgraceful. “As long as the persecution continues, we will be here voicing our opinions and telling people the facts,” Ms. Gillis said. “People need to stay informed of what is really going on. This is very important.”

Due to the systematic hate propaganda from the CCP, many people, including those in Western society, have misunderstandings about Falun Gong. Ms. Gillis feels obliged to help them know the real story of Falun Gong. “The peaceful appeal in 1999 is a manifestation of the principles we are following – Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” she explained. 

Falun Gong’s Universal Values

Hector Reyes, a nutritionist from Mexico, began to practice Falun Gong in March 1999. He said it’s important for people to adhere to universal values in our society. That’s why practitioners participated in the peaceful appeal in 1999, and why they’ve been raising awareness of the persecution all these years, urging people to help stop the brutality. 

Mr. Reyes said Falun Gong’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, benefit practitioners and society. This is why the practice is now well received in more than 100 countries even though it’s still suppressed in the county of its origin. He said that because of the defamatory propaganda by the CCP, many people were misled and have misunderstandings about Falun Gong, but as practitioners continued sharing their own experiences and telling people about the atrocities in China, the situation has improved over time. 

Mr. Reyes noted that many Canadians and Mexicans have accepted Falun Gong, and some began practicing. “This is very encouraging and it shows people still cherish universal values,” he said. 

Vietnamese Practitioner: Miracles in Life

Diep Tran from Vietnam and said she suffered from a sleep disorder, but after she did the Falun Gong exercises for the first time, she slept very well. “The next morning my body felt light and energetic. I immediately realized Falun Gong is miraculous,” she said. “So I began to read Zhuan Falun and follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in my daily life. I could feel everything around me begin going in the right direction.”

She was happy to participate in the event at the Chinese Embassy, and said freedom of belief should be respected and Falun Gong practitioners should be allowed practice their faith in China. “For those who do not know about Falun Gong, I hope they will do some research and benefit like me,” she added. 

As for CCP officials, including those who work in the Chinese Embassy, Ms. Tran hopes they will take a step back and reflect on what’s going on. “Each of us is choosing our own way of life. Blindly following the CCP will harm others and hurt ourselves as well as our family members,” she said.