Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

Ottawa, Canada

September 02 2004

Dear ___________:

Thank you for your recent correspondence concerning Falun Gong practitioners in South Africa.

Canada remains deeply concerned about ongoing reports of the suppression of freedom of expression and spiritual practice in China, including Falun Gong. Canada consistently raises the human rights concerns of many Canadians during regular dialogues with Chinese leaders at all levels.

Canada registers its concerns about China's human rights record in annual public statements, including those made at the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. The most recent Canadian statement, delivered in Geneva on March 25, 2004, made specific mentions of the persistent scale and scope of restrictions on freedom of expression, association, religion and spiritual beliefs, which reflects concerns about the treatment of both spiritual groups such as the Falun Gong and minority groups in Tibet and XinJiang.

Canada engages China on human rights issues through a dialogue process, including the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), where the Chinese government is urged to respect rights such as freedom of expression. At the seventh meeting of the JCHR in October 2003 in Ottawa, Canada raised a number of key human rights concerns, including the plight of Falun Gong practitioners, with Chinese authorities.

Please be assured that we will continue to make our views known to the Chinese authorities.

Thank you again for writing on this important issue.

Yours sincerely,

A. Anne McLellan