A shocking practice taking place in China is spreading upset globally, and most recently in Vernon.
Practitioners of Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual practice, are protesting the imprisonment and cruelty they and their families have been subject to, which they claim has included organ harvesting.
The Falun Gong Car Tour was in Vernon last week to spread awareness among citizens and elected officials.
Among the small group of practitioners, joined by a few locals, protesting in front of Vernon city hall Monday was Tian Jing.
Now living in Vancouver, Jing was imprisoned while she was in China. She and her whole family practised Falun Gong and were therefore placed in jail where they were tortured.
“She escaped and she is very grateful,” said Vera Sun, fellow practitioner and event organizer.
“But she is much more fortunate than millions of practitioners in China.”
Citing a June report, Sun says, “Falun Gong practitioners of conscious were being killed to supply China’s lucrative organ trade. The researchers estimate that up to 1.5 million Falun Gong practitioners have been killed since 2001 in this illegal, state-sanctioned organ trafficking practice.”
Vernon practitioner Larry Peters, who came out to support the group, is dismayed by the devastation taking place overseas.
“This is some of the most heinous injustice I’ve ever witnessed,” said Peters.
Hagen Tanner, also a local practitioner, wants to see more action against this inhumane activity.
“I think it’s just an unbelievable atrocity that is happening,” said Tanner.
“I can’t see how the world governments are standing idly by and doing nothing and I think it’s high time that Canada takes a stand.”
Sun urges Canadians not to go to China for new organs (where transplant hospitals claim that matching organs can be found in weeks or days, versus years in other countries).