(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Gong practitioners have participated in the annual Ottawa Chinese New Year celebration for the past 6 consecutive years, but when they applied to participate in this year's celebration, they encountered a lot trouble from the organizers, including the Canadian Zhong Guo Ren Association, Canada Western-China International Development Association and Health Times (Canada). Under pressure, the co-organizer Chinese Community Association of Ottawa did not want to allow an art troupe to perform because the troupe has Falun Gong practitioner members. Regarding this unusual phenomenon, the Ottawa Citizen has published two follow-up stories and a letter to the editor.

The Effort to Divide the Community Denigrates Canada's Multicultural Spirit (Photo)

During the celebration this year, Minghui Chinese School displayed a "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" banner because this is the primary principle guiding all teaching at the school. However, one of the organizers took exception with this banner and intervened.

According to the Ottawa Citizen, when organizer Zhang Zhigang was passing by the School's booth, he saw the "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" banner. Zhang immediately asked the principal of the school to take down the banner. When an Ottawa Citizen reporter asked why Zhang is against the banner, he then took back his words and asked the principal to put the banner on the booth's table.

Yi Qihua, the principal of the school, said that Minghui Chinese school is a registered school that teaches Chinese, traditional Chinese culture and values. It also teaches students to use the principle of "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance" to guide their lives. She said: "These values should be respected by the whole society. We live in Canada, a democratic nation which respects human rights and different cultures. Under the spirit of supporting multiculturalism, people of different cultures, religions and colors live together in harmony. However, out of their own selfish interest, some people always try to create conflicts in Chinese communities. This kind of conduct is against the Canadian spirit of supporting a multicultural society. "

The Ottawa Citizen published a letter to the editor which said that although the Canadian Government doesn't think Falun Gong is a political threat, Chinese officials' interference with Falun Gong in Canada is overlooked. The event organizers, the Canadian Zhong Guo Ren Association and Canada Western-China International Development Association are denigrating the Canadian spirit of supporting a multicultural society.

Before and After the Persecution

Falun Gong practitioner Gongyu Dai said the reason that Falun Gong was excluded from the Chinese New Year celebration this year was not the nature of Falun Gong; it is the extension of political persecution in China. This persecution has been extended to Canada, and the decision made by the organizers vividly testifies to this fact.

Dai said, "Since 1998, the Falun Gong booth has been welcomed every year for 6 consecutive years. Before China started the persecution against Falun Gong, in the 1999 Chinese New Year celebration, Ambassador Mei Ping and several counselors came to the Falun Gong booth. He personally commended practitioners and encouraged them to continue to spread traditional Chinese culture. Because China now is persecuting Falun Gong, Chinese practitioners can be beaten to death for distributing greeting cards with "Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance" on them. Unfortunately, this persecution has been extended to Canada and upset the otherwise peaceful and harmonious Chinese community.

Community Leader: Supporters of Falun Gong Could be Included on the Chinese Embassy's Blacklist

Ms. Shi submitted the application for the Falun Gong group. According to her, the organizers had different opinions regarding whether or not allow Falun Gong to participate in the event. A community leader was placed under great pressure for trying to get permission for Falun Gong. He was accused by his opponents of being a Falun Gong practitioner. According to this person, the organizers had invited Ambassador Mei Ping to the inauguration of the event. If Falun Gong was allowed to participate in the event, Ambassador Mei would not attend. Furthermore, the organizers could then be included on the blacklist of the Chinese Embassy. Jiang Ming, the person in charge of the Canadian Zhong Guo Ren Association, told reporters that the reason they didn't allow Falun Gong to participate is that they don't want to get in trouble. The Ottawa Citizen published a story about this on January 31. According to the newspaper, Vivian Chu, the spokesperson of the event organizers, said: "We don't want to offend the Chinese Embassy."

In response, Gongyu Dai said, "From the perspective of Jiang and his followers, anyone who is related to or supports Falun Gong is regarded as committing a political mistake. Due to fear developed under the intense political pressure and the intention to protect one's self interest, some individuals in fact have participated in or accepted the persecution. "

This Is Not an Isolated Case

According to Falun Gong spokeswoman Lucy Zhou, "Jiang and his accomplices have employed many measures to extend their persecution overseas. The measures include pressuring the Chinese community not to support Falun Gong; spreading hatred in Canadian society and Chinese communities; controlling and misleading media to defend the persecution; excluding Falun Gong practitioners from Chinese community and other public activities; refusing to issue passports and visas to Falun Gong practitioners, etc. These kinds of conduct which instigate hatred and violate human rights are illegal."

"For example," she said, "on February 3, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that Chinese Deputy Consul General in Toronto Pan Xinchun was guilty of libel in slandering Falun Gong in a newspaper. The Court also ordered Pan to pay the defendant damages."