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Monday, June 16, 2008

Letters: China breaches international law

Alberni Valley News: To the Editor,

I am amazed at a recent letter from Chinese Consul-General Yang Qiang to Mayor Ken McRae urging Port Alberni city council not to issue proclamations or support Canadian Falun Gong (FLG) events.

This kind of intervention by a Chinese government official with Canadian political leaders is a flagrant breach of China’s obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

That convention strictly prohibits foreign diplomatic personnel from any and all involvement in Canadian political affairs. Yet Chinese officials in the Canadian Embassy in Ottawa and in all Consulates across our country routinely violate the convention’s terms.

I expect to be petitioning the Canadian Government to insure that Consul-General Yang and all the other Chinese consular officials who have violated this law be expelled from Canada.

Aside from the letter’s intimidating tone, it is clear that its defamatory nature was meant to incite hatred against FLG practitioners.

Clive Ansley,
US-Canada Co-chair,
The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG)

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To the Editor,

Re: Council enters political fray over proclamation, May 30.

What right does the Chinese Consul have to influence the decisions made by Port Alberni city officials?

I am appalled by the audacity of the Chinese Consulate in sending letters to a Canadian council threatening business dealings and ties if they do not toe the line with Chinese demands.

The Communist Party of China doesn’t have a clean human rights record and their actions toward Port Alberni city councillors shows that.

Sandy Wu,
Surrey

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Consulate cannot dictate to our city

To the Editor,

Re: Council enters political fray over proclamation, May 30.

I am absolutely shocked at the fact that Port Alberni has rejected the request to issue a proclamation to Falun Gong due to some displaced interference from the Chinese Consulate.

It is very clear that the consulate is going beyond its mandate by urging Canadian government officials to stop supporting Falun Gong and their activities – on the grounds that it is a cult – as if we were in China.

We in the free world know that Falun Gong doesn’t fit the traits of a cult but rather it is a respected, benign meditation discipline rooted in truth, compassion and tolerance and its members have been persecuted for their belief by the regime for nine years.

The letter produced by the consulate only serves one thing: to intimidate officials in siding with them, thus justifying their illegal persecution of Falun Gong.

It wouldn’t be exaggerating to say that this kind of manipulation leads to fueling the persecution.

It’s not too late for Port Alberni to make a stand for human rights like they have in the past and award a proclamation for Falun Dafa Month. Whether the month of May is coming to a close or not is irrelevant. What really matters is the principle.

Moreover, the city should show some integrity and uphold our values by reminding the consulate that we don’t run a dictatorship here and that they have no right to tell us what to do on Canadian soil.

Let Port Alberni’s principled agenda shine as it should.

Marie Beaulieu,
Victoria

Related Articles:

http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/albernivalleynews/news/19358164.html

Council enters political fray over proclamation
Alberni Valley News, Canada -
“It is known to all that the cult of Falun Gong...has been deceiving people by concocting and spreading superstitious fallacies,” China’s Consul General ...

Proclaim all or none at all
Alberni Valley News, Canada -
Falun Dafa or Falun Gong does not break any Canadian law. Its existence does, however, defy the wishes of a government located 9000 kilometres away from ...

Chinese Consulate Attempts to Influence City Council in Canadian Town
Epoch Times, NY - 11 hours ago
In the letter dated May 15 2008, Qiang defamed Falun Gong and urged Mayor McRae not to support Falun Dafa Month. Falun Gong is a meditation practice and ...



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