Dufferin municipality recognizes May 13 as Falun Dafa Day

Orangeville has proclaimed May 13 as Falun Dafa Day, following a request from the Falun Dafa Association of Canada.

This is the organization's 29th Falun Dafa Day Anniversary, celebrating the religious movement, which originated out of China, and honours the values of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. 

Falun Dafa, which is also known as Falun Gong, is a spiritual practice for the mind and body, utilizing meditative exercises and a moral philosophy aimed at the promotion of virtue.Tens of millions of people from diverse backgrounds in over 100 countries, including Canada, practice Falun Dafa and for many people, it improves their mental, moral, and physical well-being. 

Since 1999 major human rights organizations have documented the Communist Party of China's (CCP) antireligious campaign, which uses multifaceted propaganda to enforce ideological conversion and re-education of those who practice Falun Dafa. The campaign also includes the torture, forcible conversion, mass imprisonment, and murder of people who practice Falun Gong in China. It's estimated that hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of Falun Gong practitioners have been detained in re-education through labour camps or prison facilities for refusing to denounce the spiritual practice. 

An investigation, initiated in 2006, found that those who practice the religion were murdered for their vital organs, which were then sold by the CCP. It's estimated that 65,000 practitioners of Falun Gong were killed for their organs. 

Judicial authorities have described the campaign against those who practice Falun Dafa as a genocide. Courts in Argentina and Spain indicted senior Chinese officials for genocide and crimes against humanity over the suppression of Falun Dafa in 2009.

Pixing Zhang of the Falun Dafa Association of Canada wrote into Orangeville Council requesting that they proclaim May 13 as Falun Dafa Day, noting that “after two decades of unspeakable atrocities, the Falun Dafa community, both within China and abroad, have endured with resolute non-violence and persistence to uphold freedom and universal values.”

Zhang's letter notes that this has garnered worldwide recognition, including thousands of greetings and proclamations from governments and officials.