TORONTO—Conservative MP Rhonda Kirkland said seeing Shen Yun Performing Arts was a reminder for her of the freedoms people can enjoy in Canada but are denied by the communist regime in China.
Ms. Kirkland, who lived in China for some time in the early 2000s, said the CCP’s suppression extends even beyond China, and that the Canadian government should defend against that.
“Our prime minister, all of our members of Parliament—we must denounce the long arm of that oppression that should never be here in our country in Canada,” she said.
Human rights organizations have documented many instances of the CCP pressuring diaspora groups and dissidents, as well as attempting to influence politicians in Canada and meddle in the country’s democracy. A recent public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada concluded in 2024 that China is the most active foreign power interfering with Canada’s affairs.
“Any culture or any faith group that is persecuted for their beliefs, and that continues to persevere through that—it’s wonderful and fabulous to see, and it’s inspiring,” she said.
She added that despite attempts to destroy China’s spiritual culture and traditions, “people of faith will stand strong and continue on, it’ll shine through as it did tonight.”
“It was beautiful,” she said.
Earlier on March 28, at a reception celebrating Shen Yun’s Canadian performances, Ms. Kirkland told attendees that she worked with Christian missionaries in China and saw how the CCP suppresses people of faith.
“When I lived in China, I witnessed firsthand individuals expressing their beliefs, how they were treated. I saw practitioners taken away and admonished, something that stayed with me and reinforces just how important freedom of belief and expression truly is,” she said.
“As the member of Parliament for Oshawa, moments like this prompt reflection. We are fortunate to live in a country where freedoms of belief, expression, and assembly are protected, but those freedoms require constant care, and we should never take them for granted.”
“We recognize again that traditional culture was lost or suppressed under communist rule, making this evening not just artistic, but a meaningful act of preservation,” she said.
