June 25, 2002

Dear __________ (name omitted to avoid harassment by the Chinese embassy):

Thank you for your letter of May 8, 2002 regarding the Falun Dafa Week celebrations. I sincerely regret the delay in responding to your concerns.

Please accept my congratulations on the celebration of Falun Gong's tenth anniversary. I hope the week's events were enjoyed by all of your members and Falun Gong practitioners across Canada.

With respect to the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China. Let me say that Canada regularly registers its concerns about human rights abuses in China. The Government of Canada uses numerous channels by which we make known our opposition to the persecution, including meetings with senior Chinese leaders and regular dialogue with Chinese officials. On such occasions, Canadian officials raise with the Chinese government cases of Chinese individuals imprisoned as a result of political or religious reasons.

In addition, we regularly convey our concerns to China about the suppression and treatment, while under arrest, of Falun Gong practitioners, and we have underlined the concern felt by many Canadians regarding reports of death in re-education camps. Canadian Falun Gong practitioners meet regularly with officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade regarding the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien intervened strongly on human rights during his Team Canada visit to China in February 2001 and again raised Canadian human rights concerns during his visit to Shanghai in October 2001.

Canada thrives as a nation because of our multicultural identity, and the diversity of religions and cultures of our people. Underlying the existence of these different cultures and religious practices is the ability, enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to practice them free from persecution.

Once again, thank you for having taken the time to contact me, and please convey my best wishes to all of those involved in the Falun Dafa Association of Canada

Yours very truly,

Allan Rock