Ottawa man says Dragon-boat festival CEO [ordered him] to remove Falun Gong shirt, citing Chinese sponsorship
Gerry Smith's allegations are the latest indication of Beijing’s campaign to influence and placate Canadian society amid a tense diplomatic stand-off
July 16 2019
A Falun Gong practitioner says the CEO of Ottawa’s dragon-boat festival ordered him to take off a T-shirt advocating the Chinese spiritual group, citing China’s sponsorship of the Chinese event.
John Brooman threatened to have other Falun Gong practitioners removed from the public park in which the festival took place last month if they didn’t leave voluntarily, says Gerry Smith, a retired Nortel Networks employee.
His allegations are the latest indication of Beijing’s pernicious and insidious campaign to influence Canadian society, even as the two countries remain locked in a tense stand-off.
China’s interventions and influence in Canada have often concerned the Falun Gong, which it calls a cult, and has persecuted and incarcerated thousands for years say many human-rights watchdogs. The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and other Canadian authorities say it is a spiritual organization and deserves due rights protection.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa is a “gold sponsor”, the main sponsor of the Tim Hortons Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, which also receives thousands of dollars from companies and federal, provincial and city governments.
“If it had been the Chinese embassy, I would not have been surprised,” Smith, 72, told Brooman in a letter about the incident. “But this is Canada … and Canadians should not be taking orders from the Chinese embassy. You are being watched over and used to do their dirty work of covering up horrific crimes.”
Neither the festival CEO nor the embassy could be reached for comment Tuesday. Silence!
But in responding to a letter of complaint from the Falun Gong, Brooman said he had had a “good exchange” with Smith and simply stressed that he didnt want to upset the Chinese community.
“Gerry is a very nice man and I in no way meant to offend him. If Gerry felt he was discriminated against during our conversation, then I am surprised, and would be prepared to issue an apology for that perception to him directly,” he wrote in an email. “In the meantime, I want Gerry to respect the embassy's request that any organization not use our event as advocacy for Faun Gong.”
The Falun Gong routinely demonstrates against China's horrific abuses and crackdowns, often outside the country’s missions here. According to Smith’s account, however, his encounter with Brooman June 22 had nothing to do with advocacy.
He said he and other Falun Gong practitioners were simply doing exercises – an integral part of the group’s practices – in city-owned Mooney’s Bay Park – but well outside the fenced-off area where the three-day festival was unfolding.
At one point, his friend’s son indicated he was hungry, so Smith took him on his own into the festival grounds, found a food concession and bought him a veggie burger.
After sitting down at a picnic table, a man who came and sat down next to him who identified himself as Brooman told him to remove his T-shirt, which contained the latin-script words Falun Dafa – another name for the group – and “truthfulness, benevolence, forbearance” in Chinese.
Smith says he was taken insulted, but did as he was told. In the discussion that ensued, he says he defended the Falun Gong. Brooman, said he had visited China twice, that the dragon-boat festival was about promoting its culture and the Chinese embassy sponsors the event, which he said involves paying rent for the city park.
Smith said the CEO avoided making an explicit link between the sponsorship and his orders from the embassy regarding the T-shirt, but it was obvious.
Gesturing to the walkie-talkie on his belt, Brooman also told Smith to take his associates and leave the park, though they were outside the fenced-in area, said the retired Nortel technologist.
“He said, ‘We know your group is out there, and I can have them removed. I can just call and have them removed’,” recounted Smith, who says he started following Falun Gong after meeting a group of practitioners at Nortel 20 years ago.
He complained to the City of Ottawa, which referred his complaint to police.
Officers concluded it was not a criminal matter, but told Smith he could contact private security or police if something similar happened again, a spokeswoman for the force said Tuesday.
Falun Gong representative Grace Wollensack said she has no doubt that banning practitioners was a condition of the embassy’s sponsorship, and said further the incident was far from isolated.
The Ottawa tulip festival, for instance, excluded a Falun Gong band at the last minute in 2008, noting the Chinese embassy forced its will saying it was involved in the event. A former Ottawa mayor refused to sign a proclamation honouring the group in 2010, after reportedly making a commitment to Chinese officials on a trade visit.
“The Chinese are focused on selling out Canadian values, Canadian principles,” said Wollensack Tuesday. “The Chinese embassy is behind this, it's purpose is to erode the freedoms of Canadian society and establish its own powers.”
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments always welcome!