OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper should investigate reports of a death camp for Falun Gong practitioners in China and condemn the communist regime's persecution of the spiritual practice, Members of Parliament from all major parties said Monday.
"I will do everything possible to urge Mr. Harper to demand an international investigation by the United Nations," said Bloc Québécois MP Maria Mourani in a statement in French read by an aide.
She said the investigation should bring to light the "imprisonment in concentration camps; persecution and execution of Falun Gong practitioners (men, women, and children) by the communist regime in order to harvest vital organs and tissues for sale."
Last month, a former Chinese journalist revealed the existence of Sujiatun, a state-run death camp in China's Shenyang city that has reportedly held thousands of Falun Gong practitioners to supply a lucrative trade in human organs.
Since then, two more witnesses have come forward. The third witness, who describes himself as a veteran military doctor serving in the Shenyang military zone (where Sujiatun is location), said last week that at least 36 similar camps exist throughout China; the largest, he says, holds over 120,000 people.
The news prompted more than 200 to rally on Parliament Hill Monday, the opening of the 39th Parliament.
It also prompted strong statements from a stream of MPs from all parties.
Liberal Borys Wrzesnewskyj said, "If the evidence shows that in fact China today is harvesting organs from political religious prisoners, what a horrendous, horrendous situation that is, that a regime where over a billion of our world citizens live would live under those sorts of threats." He encouraged more awareness in the West.
Fellow Liberal MP Larry Bagnell lauded the Falun Gong practitioners for "standing for the high ideal of truth, compassion, and forbearance and for taking action peacefully." He said he was looking forward to the Chinese regime responding "comprehensively and transparently" to the death camp inquiries.
"When people preoccupy themselves with trade they forget what is fundamentally more important than the dollars to be made are human rights," he said.
Conservative Bruce Stanton, also at the rally, offered strong support.
"I will do everything I can to help the citizens in China," Stanton said.
"It is unimaginable that in this day and age, remembering the vivid memories that this generation has from the Holocaust, that these kinds of practices continue to go on, in particular in a country that is professing to make a stride on the world stage."
But New Democrat MP Peter Julian said the government has been too silent in response to the reports.
"We need the international community to push for a full and complete investigation," he said. Julian gave his commitment that the NDP "will be pressing the government to make sure it takes a stand on behalf of all Canadians to stop the persecution."
In a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, NDP MP Libby Davies also called for "an independent and objective investigation of these reports to verify what is the nature of the detention, extermination, and organ harvesting taking place in Sujiatun prison."
A number of organizations and governments have indicated that they are now looking into the death camp reports.
Manfred Nowak, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, told Reuters he is probing the allegations. Following his visit to China last year, Nowak reported widespread torture in the country.
The U.S. government said it has urged Beijing to launch an internal investigation of the Sujiatun death camp reports, falling short of the call for an independent international investigation.
The Canadian Foreign Affairs Department told The Epoch Times Wednesday that it is "currently seeking independent verification" of the reports.
Monday's rally also included former MP David Kilgour and representatives from human rights organizations. More MPs came out Tuesday to show support as the rally continued. Liberal David McGuinty also wrote to Peter MacKay.
Joel Chipkar, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association of Canada addressed the supporters at the rally.
"One reason this evil environment continues to exist is because of international silence," said Chipkar, urging the Prime Minister to "speak out to protect the integrity of humanity and of our country."
"There truly is no other choice we can make as human beings," he said.
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