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Photos:
A. Some participants
B. From the left: Canada's Liberal Party MP and former Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, the Hon. Judy Sgro; Tibetan MP, Mr. Norbu Tsering; Canada's New Democratic Party MP, Wayne Marston; Canada's Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, the Hon. Jason Kenney; FDC president, Ms Sheng Xue; former Japanese Senior Vice Minister, Makino Seishu; executive director of FDCA, Mr. Fei Liangyong.
C. Sheng Xue introduced two Chinese polical prisoners' children, Jiang Jiaji, the son of Li Bifeng, and Li Zhuyang, the daughter of Qin Yongmin, to the Minister the Hon. Jason Kenney.
D. Canada's Conservative Party MP, Mr. Brad Butt; President of One Free World, Majed Shafie; former MP of Sweden and EU, Göran Lindblad; former Canadian Senator Consiglio DiNino.
E. Canadian Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women, the Hon. Kellie Leitch.
F. Canada's Liberal Party MP and former Minister of Justice, the Hon. Irwin Cotler.
G. From the left: Canadian Conservative Party's MP Mr. Brad Butt, Canadian Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women the Hon. Kellie Leitch, FDCA's commissioner and the president of FDC Ms. Sheng Xue, President of One Free World Mr. Majed Shafie, former EU MP Mr. Göran Lindblad, former Canadian Senator Mr. Consiglio DiNino.
H. From the left, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Common and the former Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific the Hon. David Kilgour and wife Laure, President of Canada's China Rights Network Mr. Micheal Craig, former prepresentive of His Holyness the Dalai Lama to Nepal.
I. Some participants with the Hon. Irwin Cotler.
J. A scene of the conference
Together we lead the change
--Statement of the 6th International Conference on Global support for Democratization in China and Asia
Toronto October 19- 21, 2013
From October 19 to 21 the International Conference on Global support for Democratization in China and Asia held its 6th Annual Conference in Toronto, Canada, under the theme "Together we lead the change". Some 160 participants attended, coming from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Europe, Asia and North America, over 20 countries in total.
Participants condemned the violations of human rights in China and other Asian authoritarian states. We condemn the restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly imposed by any authoritarian state. The support given by China to the Assad regime in Syria once again shows that the Chinese Communists are the main obstacle to the global progress of human rights.
The Conference noted that fundamental change in any social system must come from within, but the support the democratic free world is extremely important and essential. The Conference is grateful for the support for this meeting given by political leaders from Canada and other countries. We hope that democratic societies will give more support to the democratic transformation in China and Asia. Together, let us lead the change.
Participants agreed that leading an era of change requires a clear direction, and action to promote change which rises above differences of "left" and "right", ethnic boundaries, uniting radicals and gradualists, revolution and reform, all boldly shouldering this historic responsibility. The present mission of the Chinese democratic movement is to bring a complete end to Chinese Communist authoritarian rule, promote democratic progress in Asia, and work for world peace and stable development.
Through vigorous discussion the conference reached the following consensus:
1. Today China has already become an oligarchic "Red Empire" of wealthy elite. The growing corruption and violence of the Chinese Communist elite, their frenzied acquisitiveness, forced expropriations and tearing down of homes, disregard for human life, have led to mass protests everywhere. The tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party has incited ethnic conflict and ever more severe environmental disasters. The contradictions in society have almost reached the breaking point. The refusal of the Chinese Communists to reform will throw China's whole society into a downward spiral of chaos and conflict leading to collapse.
2. Democracy is the fundamental way out for China. It is the precondition for building a just society guaranteeing human rights, implementing the rule of law, and healthy sustainable development of economic, cultural and ecological and environmental life. China has reached the point instability and transformation. The Chinese democratic movement must bring forth realistic practical policies to lead the change.
3. The Chinese communists are accelerating their external expansion and penetration. This is realized through the use of external trade, export of labour and products, acquisition of resources, and use of both soft and hard power to openly export their violations of human rights and repression of speech into democratic countries. At the same time, rising authoritarian China is inciting jingoistic nationalism, and using military threats to create tension, creating a serious threat to Asian and global security.
4. The communist regime is intensifying ethnic oppression. In Mongolian, Uyghur and Tibetan areas it is exercising harsh rule, wantonly using military force, and systematically destroying religious faith and national cultures. Its rapacious exploitation of natural resources is bringing irreversible environmental destruction to these areas. Policies of ethnic oppression are inciting widespread resistance, such as the shocking and tragic self-immolations of over 130 Tibetans. The Chinese Communist's creation of ethnic hatred has already reached historically unprecedented levels.
The Chinese democratic movement is working to promote mutual understanding, empathy and forgiveness between ethnic groups, as well as working for democracy in China and Asia, so as to lay a foundation for future ethnic harmony and co-existence, and avoid ethnic conflicts and even war.
5. The conference demands that the Chinese communists immediately release all political and religious prisoners of conscience, including Mongolians, Uyghurs and Tibetans. China must respect the UN Convention on Refugees which it signed in 1982, and stop the forced return of North Korean refugees.
6. The conference expresses its support for the many protests in China for peoples' defence of their rights, and every constructive effort for change within the Chinese communist system itself. We strongly demand that those in power begin political reforms. In the event of the communist power elite continuing to reject democratic change, we call on the whole Chinese people to bring about rapid democratic transition through citizen's rights movement of all kinds.
7. The conference especially notes that democratic forces must transcend the boundaries between internal and external forces, local actions to defend rights and the democratic movement, and actions inside and outside of the system. In the internet age, every field is a battlefield for the democratic revolution. We firmly believe that the Chinese democratic revolution cannot be blocked by any forces.
8. The conference is concerned about the penetration of Chinese communist influence into Taiwan, and expresses its support for the continued strengthening of Taiwan's democracy, and defending its democratic achievements. We also express our support for the Hong Kong people's "occupy Central" resistance movement for fair elections.
9. The conference resolved that we (1) Support the construction of a Memorial to Victims of Communism in Ottawa near Parliament Hill, (2) Establish global internet platforms to carry out pro-democracy movements in China, and (3) Support the "Besiege the Communist Regime" activities for commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Tian An Men protest.
The Chinese Democratic movement will unite with all forces resisting Chinese communist tyranny, including Mongolian, Uyghur, and Tibetan peoples; Asian countries and global democratic forces; together leading the change to bring a rapid end to Communist authoritarian rule.
